Schistidium apocarpum
Schistidium cinclidodonteum
schistidium moss
schistidium moss
1.2–12 cm, central strand weak or absent.
1–8 cm, sometimes denuded of leaves at base, central strand absent.
erect or curved, rarely (falcate-) secund when dry, ovate-lanceolate, sharply keeled distally, (1.3–)1.7–2.5(–3.2) mm, 1-stratose or rarely 2-stratose in striae distally;
margins usually recurved throughout or to just before the apex, usually denticulate distally, 1 or 2-stratose;
apices acute or sub-obtuse;
costa percurrent or excurrent as a smooth or weakly denticulate, occasionally decurrent awn, abaxial surface often papillose;
basal marginal cells usually quadrate;
distal laminal cells mostly short-rectangular, 8–10 µm wide, smooth, sinuose.
usually curved to falcate, sometimes falcate-secund when dry, linear-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, concave proximally, weakly keeled or concave distally, 1.4–5 mm, mainly 2-stratose distally and with 2-stratose strips extending to leaf base adjacent to costa;
margins plane or somewhat erect, rarely weakly recurved, smooth, 2-stratose;
apices rounded or acute, usually ending in a fleshy, multistratose apiculus, rarely tipped with a short, denticulate awn;
costa percurrent, rarely short-excurrent, smooth;
basal marginal cells quadrate or short-rectangular;
distal cells quadrate or rounded, often angular, 6–11 µm wide, smooth, sometimes weakly bulging-mammillose, weakly sinuose.
autoicous.
autoicous.
dark red or brown, short-cylindric, 0.7–1.3 mm;
exothecial cells usually quadrate, sometimes mixed with short-elongate or oblate cells, thin-walled, usually trigonous;
stomata present;
peristome patent or erect, often twisted, 350–600(–700) µm, red, densely papillose, usually perforated.
reddish brown, ovoid, cupulate, or short-cylindric, 1.3–1.8 mm;
exothecial cells mostly short-elongate or isodiametric, usually irregularly angular, thin-walled, sometimes trigonous;
rim darker colored than capsule wall, often red;
stomata absent;
peristome patent, 350–600 µm, red, finely papillose, strongly perforated.
11–14(–19) µm, granulose or smooth.
8–13 µm, smooth.
Schistidium apocarpum
Schistidium cinclidodonteum
Although H. H. Blom (1996) considered Schistidium apocarpum to be restricted in the flora area to the eastern portions of North America, it is more widespread and scattered across the continent. The denticulate leaf margins, papillose abaxial costal surface, short-cylindrical capsules, and the thin-walled, often evenly quadrate exothecial cells are distinguishing characters. The long peristome teeth are also useful in identifying S. apocarpum. In good condition the peristome can only be confused with that of S. trichodon, which differs in the darker, often black color of its plants, the peristome teeth often forming a dome, and the cylindrical capsules that retain the columella.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Schistidium cinclidodonteum and the closely related S. occidentale are characterized by the long, often linear-lanceolate and falcate leaves. Both species often form large, rather flat mats over rock along watercourses. The proboscis-like (discussed in S. Flowers 1973) fleshy apiculus distinguishes the two from all other species of the genus except S. crassithecium, which differs in having a much smaller apiculus, and more erect, ovate-lanceolate leaves. Examination of the type of Grimmia pacifica, not recognized here, reveals that the only salient difference between that taxon and S. cinclidodonteum is the presence of a short, denticulate awn.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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