Syntrichia princeps |
Syntrichia sinensis |
|
---|---|---|
tortula moss |
|
|
Stems | 5–20 mm. |
4–15 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. |
longitudinally folded and spirally twisted around the stem but little crisped when dry, wide-spreading when moist, oblong-lingulate to spatulate, 2–4.5 × 0.6–1.6 mm; margins revolute in the proximal 1/2, entire; apices acute; costa excurrent into a smooth to slightly toothed, hyaline awn, brown or reddish, smooth; basal cells abruptly differentiated, narrower toward the margins; distal cells polygonal, or quadrate, 12–20 µm, with 8–10 papillae per cell; marginal cells not differentiated. |
Seta | red, 10–18 mm. |
red, 15–25 mm. |
Sexual condition | synoicous (apparently rarely dioicous). |
autoicous. |
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. |
red, 3–3.8 mm, straight or slightly curved, with a distinct neck; operculum 1.2–1.5 mm, red; peristome 0.8–1.1 mm, red, the basal membrane pale, about 1/4 the total length. |
Spores | 9–13 µm, papillose. |
12–18 µm, papillose. |
Specialized | asexual reproduction absent. |
asexual reproduction absent. |
Syntrichia princeps |
Syntrichia sinensis |
|
Habitat | Humus, soil, rock, tree bark | Vertical limestone faces |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | high 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
|
CO; NM; Europe; Asia; n Africa |
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.) |
Only recently discovered in the Rocky Mountains, Syntrichia sinensis may have been overlooked elsewhere in the flora area. For example, it is to be expected in the northern part of the Sierra Nevada of California where limestone is exposed. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 624. | FNA vol. 27, p. 623. |
Parent taxa | Pottiaceae > subfam. Pottioideae > Syntrichia | Pottiaceae > subfam. Pottioideae > Syntrichia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Tortula princeps | Barbula sinensis, Tortula sinensis |
Name authority | (De Notaris) Mitten: J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot., suppl. 1: 39. (1859) | (Müller Hal.) Ochyra: Fragm. Florist. Geobot. 37: 213. (1992) |
Web links |
|