Flora of North America species comparison

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Pylaisiadelpha tenuirostris

Pylaisiadelpha

pylaisiadelpha moss, Rapunzel moss

pylaisiadelpha moss
Habit Plants small, yellowish, weakly glossy.
Stem(s)

leaves crowded, 0.7–1 mm.

1–4 cm, not complanate-foliate, regularly to irregularly branched.
Leaves

erect-ascending to falcate-secund, homomallous, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, strongly curved;

margins entire except near acumen;

apex narrowly acuminate; ecostate or costa double;

alar cells rounded, slightly to somewhat enlarged, usually inflated, pigmented, walls thick, cells in proximal row enlarged, middle lamella not apparent, supra-alar cells differentiated, many, quadrate;

laminal cells somewhat flexuose, smooth.
Branch leaves

similar, slightly smaller.

Seta

reddish.

0.5 cm.
Sexual condition

dioicous.
Capsule

symmetric, 1 mm.

erect, ovoid to cylindric;

exothecial cell walls not collenchymatous;

operculum long-rostrate.
Specialized

asexual reproduction by filiform propagula in leaf axils.

Pylaisiadelpha tenuirostris

Pylaisiadelpha
Phenology Capsules mature early spring.
Habitat Rock, epiphytic on tree trunks and bases, logs, broadleaf woodlands
Elevation low to moderate elevations
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; GA; IL; IN; MD; ME; MI; MO; NC; NY; OH; OK; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; NL; NS; ON; Mexico; Central America; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
North America; Mexico; Central America; South America; Asia
Discussion

Pylaisiadelpha tenuirostris is superficially similar to some specimens of Hypnum pallescens (Hypnaceae), a commonly sporophyte-bearing species with conic opercula and leaves lacking enlarged alar cells. Plants with sporophytes are rare. The rostrate opercula and conspicuous pigmented enlarged alar cells are distinctive.

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

Species 4 or 5 (1 in the flora).

The distribution of Pylaisiadelpha is difficult to assess. According to W. R. Buck (1998b), the genus is diverse in the Asian tropics.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 28, p. 581. FNA vol. 28, p. 580. Author: Wilfred B. Schofield†.
Parent taxa Sematophyllaceae > Pylaisiadelpha Sematophyllaceae
Subordinate taxa
P. tenuirostris
Synonyms Leskea tenuirostris, Brotherella tenuirostris
Name authority (Bruch & Schimper ex Sullivant) W. R. Buck: Yushania 1(2): 13. (1984) Cardot: Rev. Bryol. 39: 57. (1912)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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