Syntrichia princeps |
Syntrichia cainii |
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tortula moss |
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Stems | 5–20 mm. |
10–20 mm. |
Leaves | usually in distinct whorls, infolded, somewhat contorted, and weakly to strongly twisted around the stem when dry, wide-spreading to slightly recurved when moist, concave, spatulate, 2–4 × 1–1.5 mm; margins revolute in the proximal 1/2–3/4, entire; apices acute or sometimes truncate; costa excurrent into a long, serrate, hyaline awn (reddish at base), often strongly papillose abaxially and serrulate near the apex because of projecting cell ends, red; basal cells abruptly differentiated, long-rectangular, 45–80 × 20–30 µm, short-rectangular to quadrate at the margins; distal cells quadrate to hexagonal, 12–17 µm, slightly bulging, bearing 4–6 papillae per cell. |
infolded, twisted, and slightly contorted when dry, erect-spreading with recurved tips when moist, variable in shape and size, usually oblong-ovate, 1.5–2 × 0.75–1.5 mm; margins revolute in the proximal 1/2–2/3, entire; apices obtuse but abruptly narrowed to a blunt tip; costa ending well before the apex, brown, smooth; basal cells abruptly differentiated, narrower toward the margins; distal cells rounded, polygonal, or quadrate, 12–18 µm, with 3–5 papillae per cell, thick-walled and collenchymatous. |
Seta | red, 10–18 mm. |
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Sexual condition | synoicous (apparently rarely dioicous). |
dioicous (perigonia and sporophytes unknown). |
Capsule | brownish red, 3–4 mm, slightly curved, with a distinct neck; operculum 1.5–2 mm, brown; peristome ca. 1.5 mm, the distal divisions twisted about 2 turns, red, the basal membrane white, 1/2–2/3 the total length. |
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Spores | 9–13 µm, papillose. |
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Specialized | asexual reproduction absent. |
asexual reproduction absent. |
Syntrichia princeps |
Syntrichia cainii |
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Habitat | Humus, soil, rock, tree bark | Limestone |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; BC; Mexico; w South America; s South America; Europe; w Asia; Africa; Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Zealand); Australia; Antarctica
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ON |
Discussion | The synoicous condition of Syntrichia princeps is diagnostic if present, but otherwise one must rely on wider basal leaf cells, costal hydroids, and the stem central strand to separate this species from S. ruralis, S. papillosissima, and S. norvegica. The more acute leaves with cells generally smaller, and costa reddish and serrulate separate it from S. obtusissima. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Plants identified as Syntrichia cainii from elsewhere in North America (e.g., Kansas, Colorado, and California) are probably incorrectly identified. The difficulty comes from several other species (especially S. norvegica) having scattered neotenic races in which the mature leaves lack awns and thus appear superficially similar to S. cainii. More detailed research, including culture studies, is needed to better understand and distinguish these forms. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 624. | FNA vol. 27, p. 620. |
Parent taxa | Pottiaceae > subfam. Pottioideae > Syntrichia | Pottiaceae > subfam. Pottioideae > Syntrichia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Tortula princeps | Tortula cainii |
Name authority | (De Notaris) Mitten: J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot., suppl. 1: 39. (1859) | (H. A. Crum & L. E. Anderson) R. H. Zander: Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. 32: 267. (1993) |
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