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elegant pseudotaxiphyllum moss, small flat-moss

pseudotaxiphyllum moss

Habit Plants in thin to dense mats, dark green to yellowish. Plants in thin to dense mats, yellowish.
Stems

3.5 cm, 1–2.5 mm wide, complanate-foliate.

1.5 cm, 1–2 mm wide, occasionally complanate-foliate.

Leaves

erect-spreading or sometimes secund with apices pointing toward substrate, not upturned-homomallous, close to somewhat distant, lanceolate, ovate- or oblong-lanceolate, symmetric, smooth or weakly undulate, 0.3–2 × 0.2–0.7 mm;

margins plane, serrulate to entire proximally, serrulate to strongly serrate distally;

apex acuminate;

costa double, strong;

alar cells undifferentiated or quadrate to rectangular, 1–3 on margins;

medial laminal cells 48–100 × 4–7 µm;

distal cells sometimes minutely prorulose at distal ends on abaxial surface.

erect-spreading, upturned-homomallous, distant to close and overlapping, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, symmetric, smooth, 0.8–1.2 × 0.3–0.5 mm;

margins plane, serrulate nearly to base;

apex long-acuminate; ecostate or costa double, weak;

alar cells poorly differentiated, few short-rectangular cells often present;

medial laminal cells 60–120 × 5–9 µm;

distal cells smooth.

Seta

1–2.5 cm.

0.8–1.6 cm.

Sexual condition

dioicous.

autoicous.

Capsule

cernuous to pendulous, oblong-ovoid to ovoid, 1–2 mm;

operculum conic to short-rostrate.

erect, horizontal, or slightly cernuous, ellipsoid, 1.4–1.7 mm;

operculum long-conic to short-rostrate.

Spores

7–12 µm.

9–16 µm.

Specialized

asexual reproduction present as propagula clustered in leaf axils below stem apices, 0.5–1.5 mm, yellow to green, not twisted-vermiform, resembling parent plant but smaller, bearing reduced leaves from apex to base of stems.

asexual reproduction absent.

Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans

Pseudotaxiphyllum homomallifolium

Phenology Capsules mature spring–summer. Capsules mature spring–summer.
Habitat Woods, acidic rock and soil, humus, base of trees, rotten logs Rock, under rock ledges
Elevation low to high elevations (0-2000 m) (low to high elevations (0-6600 ft)) moderate to high elevations (1400-2000 m) (moderate to high elevations (4600-6600 ft))
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; CA; CT; DE; GA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; SC; TN; VA; VT; WA; WV; BC; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; YT; s South America (Argentina)y
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Sonora)
Discussion

Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans is morphologically similar to 2. P. distichaceum. For distinctions, see discussion of that species.

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

Pseudotaxiphyllum homomallifolium occurs in Cochise, Navajo, and Santa Cruz counties in Arizona, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and Kimble County, Texas.

Pseudotaxiphyllum homomallifolium is distinguished from the other two species of the genus by its long-acuminate, upturned-homomallous leaves with broad laminal cells. The plants somewhat resemble Campylium, but the leaf apices are not channeled like the leaves of that genus. Foliose pseudoparaphyllia were attributed to P. homomallifolium when Redfearn described the species, but these are probably not pseudoparaphyllia. The multicellular structures rarely found on the stems appear to be part of a developing branch primordium because they sometimes are not even evident, and they are not located on the stems at the bases of mature branches as are typical pseudoparaphyllia.

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

Source FNA vol. 28, p. 561. FNA vol. 28, p. 560.
Parent taxa Hypnaceae > Pseudotaxiphyllum Hypnaceae > Pseudotaxiphyllum
Sibling taxa
P. distichaceum, P. homomallifolium
P. distichaceum, P. elegans
Synonyms Isothecium elegans, H. borrerianum, Isopterygium elegans, Plagiothecium elegans, P. elegans var. gracilens, P. elegans var. schimperi, P. elegans var. terrestre Isopterygium homomallifolium
Name authority (Bridel) Z. Iwatsuki: J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 63: 449. (1987) (Redfearn) Ireland: Caldasia 16: 267. (1991)
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