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pseudoleskea moss

Photo is of parent taxon

denuded pseudoleskea moss

Habit Plants medium-sized to large, in thick mats, green, yellow-green, or orange-green. Plants large, yellow-green, green, or orange-green.
Stems

with branches robust, julaceous, apices usually curving up;

central strand present;

paraphyllia many, filamentous to foliose, branched.

with apices hooked, branches few or absent.

Leaves

appressed to somewhat erect when dry, erect-spreading when moist, glossy or dull, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, asymmetric, usually falcate to falcate-secund, 0.6–2(–2.4) mm;

margins narrowly recurved to mid leaf or to near acumen;

apex abruptly acute to short- or long-acuminate, hair-point absent;

costa subpercurrent to percurrent, yellow-green, sometimes sinuate;

alar cells transversely elongate to quadrate, region small to medium-sized;

medial laminal cells homogeneous, short-rhomboidal, elliptic, or fusiform, to 40 µm, 2–3(–4):1, pellucid to opaque, prorate to near base, lumina larger than 10 µm, walls thin or rarely firm, not pitted;

apical cells 2–3:1;

juxtacostal cells somewhat shorter than more distal cells, walls not pitted.

not incurved, strongly falcate-secund, weakly concave, pluriplicate, 1.6–2.3 mm;

apex long-acuminate;

medial laminal cells opaque.

Capsule

erect to suberect, symmetric, 1–2 mm;

endostome basal membrane 1/4–1/3 exostome length, segments shorter than exostome, cilia usually present, 1 or 2, sometimes reduced.

Spores

16–22 µm.

Pseudoleskea radicosa

Pseudoleskea radicosa var. denudata

Phenology Capsules mature Jul–Aug.
Habitat Mesic soil under shrubs or on boulders, associated with snow banks, subalpine-alpine
Elevation moderate to high elevations (900-3000 m) (moderate to high elevations (3000-9800 ft))
Distribution
North America; Eurasia; Atlantic Islands (Iceland)
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AK; MT; WA; WY; AB; BC; Greenland; w Eurasia; Atlantic Islands (Iceland)
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Pseudoleskea radicosa is a common and variable species found at moderate to high elevations; the capsules mature in summer. Two of the three varieties are quite distinctive. Pseudoleskea radicosa is closely related to P. incurvata but differs in the longer, more homogeneous, thin-walled, and wider laminal cells. Combined ecological, molecular and morphological studies of the varieties are needed to determine their distinctiveness.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Variety denudata is distinguished by the large size, long unbranched stems with hooked apices, strongly falcate-secund leaves, and often pluriplicate lamina. The alar cells are often prorate; capsules are very rare.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Plants large; stem apices hooked; branches few or absent; leaves 1.6-2.3 mm, strongly falcate-secund, pluriplicate; apices long-acuminate.
var. denudata
1. Plants small to medium-sized; stem apices not distinctly hooked; branches many; leaves usually less than 1.6 mm, straight, falcate, or falcate-secund, 2-plicate; apices predominantly short-acuminate to acute
→ 2
2. Plants medium-sized; leaves weakly to moderately concave, not incurved, 1.2-1.7 mm; apices usually long-acuminate; medial laminal cells opaque.
var. radicosa
2. Plants small; leaves strongly concave, often incurved, 0.8-1.3 mm; apices acute to short-acuminate; medial laminal cells pellucid.
var. compacta
Source FNA vol. 28, p. 359. FNA vol. 28, p. 360.
Parent taxa Leskeaceae > Pseudoleskea Leskeaceae > Pseudoleskea > Pseudoleskea radicosa
Sibling taxa
P. atricha, P. baileyi, P. incurvata, P. patens, P. saviana, P. stenophylla, P. tribulosa
P. radicosa var. compacta, P. radicosa var. radicosa
Subordinate taxa
P. radicosa var. compacta, P. radicosa var. denudata, P. radicosa var. radicosa
Synonyms Hypnum radicosum, Lescuraea radicosa P. sciuroides var. denudata
Name authority (Mitten) Macoun & Kindberg: Cat. Canad. Pl., Musci, 181. (1892) (Kindberg) Wijk & Margadant: Taxon 9: 191. (1960)
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