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schistidium moss

Habit Plants in open tufts or mats, olivaceous to brownish (black), sometimes with yellowish tones. Plants in open, occasionally compact tufts, yellow-brown or dull red, often with yellowish or olivaceous tones.
Stems

1.2–12 cm, central strand weak or absent.

1.2–7 cm, central strand weak or absent.

Leaves

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.

erect or slightly curved when dry, ovate-lanceolate, occasionally linear-lanceolate, keeled distally, 1.7–2.6 mm, 1-stratose;

margins usually recurved to apex, smooth or weakly toothed, 2-stratose or 1-stratose in spots;

apices acute;

costa percurrent or short-excurrent as a smooth or weakly denticulate, occasionally decurrent awn, abaxial surface sometimes papillose;

basal marginal cells short-rectangular or quadrate;

distal cells mostly short-rectangular, 11–14 µm wide, strongly sinuose.

Sexual condition

autoicous.

autoicous.

Capsule

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.

orange- or red-brown, short-cylindric or cupulate, 0.7–1.1 mm;

exothecial cells usually isodiametric, quadrate or irregularly angular, usually mixed with a few elongate cells, thin-walled, trigonous;

stomata present or absent;

peristome patent to squarrose-recurved, often twisted, 330–530 µm, bright red, papillose, usually strongly perforated.

Spores

11–14(–19) µm, granulose or smooth.

15–21 µm, granulose or verruculose.

Schistidium apocarpum

Schistidium grandirete

Phenology Capsules mature late spring to early summer. Capsules mature late spring to early summer.
Habitat Rocks in somewhat shaded habitats Rocks and on moist mineral soil
Elevation low to moderate elevations (0-1500 m) (low to moderate elevations (0-4900 ft)) low to moderate elevations (0-600 m) (low to moderate elevations (0-2000 ft))
Distribution
from FNA
AK; MI; NY; VT; WA; WI; AB; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; Greenland; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
NF; NT; NU; QC; Greenland; Eurasia
Discussion

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 grandirete is an arctic species characterized by a distinctive orange-brown or dull red color and large laminal cells. Differences between S. grandirete and the similar arctic species 18. S. holmenianum are discussed thereunder.

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

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 211. FNA vol. 27, p. 218.
Parent taxa Grimmiaceae > subfam. Grimmioideae > Schistidium Grimmiaceae > subfam. Grimmioideae > Schistidium
Sibling taxa
S. agassizii, S. atrichum, S. atrofuscum, S. boreale, S. cinclidodonteum, S. confertum, S. crassipilum, S. crassithecium, S. cryptocarpum, S. dupretii, S. flaccidum, S. flexipile, S. frigidum, S. frisvollianum, S. grandirete, S. heterophyllum, S. holmenianum, S. liliputanum, S. maritimum, S. occidentale, S. papillosum, S. pulchrum, S. rivulare, S. robustum, S. strictum, S. subjulaceum, S. tenerum, S. trichodon, S. venetum
S. agassizii, S. apocarpum, S. atrichum, S. atrofuscum, S. boreale, S. cinclidodonteum, S. confertum, S. crassipilum, S. crassithecium, S. cryptocarpum, S. dupretii, S. flaccidum, S. flexipile, S. frigidum, S. frisvollianum, S. heterophyllum, S. holmenianum, S. liliputanum, S. maritimum, S. occidentale, S. papillosum, S. pulchrum, S. rivulare, S. robustum, S. strictum, S. subjulaceum, S. tenerum, S. trichodon, S. venetum
Synonyms Grimmia apocarpa, S. lancifolium, S. umbrosum
Name authority (Hedwig) Bruch & Schimper: Bryol. Europ. 3: 99. (1845) H. H. Blom: Bryophyt. Biblioth. 49: 50, fig. 7. (1996)
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