Schistidium apocarpum
Schistidium trichodon
schistidium moss
schistidium moss, stook grimmia, stook schistidium
1.2–12 cm, central strand weak or absent.
1.8–12 cm, central strand weak or 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 somewhat curved, rarely secund, ovate-lanceolate, sharply keeled distally, 1.7–2.7 mm, 1-stratose;
margins usually recurved throughout and denticulate distally, 1-stratose or 2-stratose;
apices acute;
costa percurrent or excurrent as a short, denticulate, weakly decurrent awn, abaxial surface usually weakly papillose;
basal marginal cells quadrate or short-rectangular, sometimes trigonous;
distal laminal cells mostly short-rectangular, 8–10 µm wide, usually trigonous, 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.
red-brown, cylindric to short-cylindric, rarely cupulate, 0.7–1.2 mm, sometimes ribbed when dry;
columella persistent within capsule;
exothecial cells mainly isodiametric, sometimes mixed with short-elongate cells, thin-walled, trigonous;
stomata present;
peristome erect or ascending, often twisted inwards and overlapping distally, forming a dome, 400–700 µm, red, finely papillose, rarely with a few narrow slits.
11–14(–19) µm, granulose or smooth.
9–13(–19) µm, granulose or nearly smooth.
Schistidium apocarpum
Schistidium trichodon
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.)
The habitat, almost always on calcareous rock, its black or dark olivaceous color, the lack of long awns, the long, often domed peristome, and the persistence of the columella within the capsule make Schistidium trichodon a distinctive species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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