Pseudoleskea radicosa
Pseudoleskea tribulosa
pseudoleskea moss
with branches robust, julaceous, apices usually curving up;
central strand present;
paraphyllia many, filamentous to foliose, branched.
with branches slender, not julaceous, apices rarely curving up;
central strand present;
paraphyllia many, foliose, not branched.
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.
catenulate, weakly incurved when dry, erect-spreading when moist, dull, oblong-ovate, ± symmetric, not falcate, 0.6–0.9 mm;
margins plane;
apex gradually acute to broadly acuminate, hair-point absent;
costa not reaching acumen to subpercurrent, green to orange-green, not sinuate, terminal abaxial cells projecting and strongly dentate in Morningstar-shaped pattern;
alar cells quadrate to transversely elongate, region large;
medial laminal cells quadrate to isodiametric, to 10 µm, 1:1, pellucid, strongly mammillose-papillose over lumen or rarely off-centered, papillae often with apical cell pointed, covering most of lumen, walls incrassate, not pitted;
proximal juxtacostal cells usually shorter than medial, walls pitted or not.
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.
unknown.
16–22 µm.
Pseudoleskea radicosa
Pseudoleskea tribulosa
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.)
Pseudoleskea tribulosa is a rare, distinctive endemic species only known from a few sites in the subalpine zone of Yosemite National Park; the plants seem to favor deeply shaded sites such as the mouths of caves or deep overhangs. The combination of small catenulate leaves with weak or absent plicae, plane margins, large central papilla of laminal cells with projecting apical salient, and odd extended apical cell walls of the abaxial costa are diagnostic. The species seems to be closest to 4. P. patens (see the differences under that species). Only male plants are known.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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 |
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