Flora of North America species comparison

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Tetraphis pellucida

Tetraphis geniculata

common four-tooth moss, pellucid four-tooth moss, tetraphis moss

tetraphis moss
Seta

6–14 mm, erect, straight or ± flexuose, superficial cells smooth and spirally twisted the entire length or spirally twisted and interspersed with sections of prorulate straight cells.

7–17 mm, erect, geniculate, cells smooth and spiraled below the bend, cells straight and papillose by projecting cell ends above the bend, twisted when dry.
Spores

10–13 µm.

13–16 µm.
Specialized

asexual structures are usually present.

asexual structures are often present.

Tetraphis pellucida

Tetraphis geniculata
Phenology Capsules mature spring–early summer, rare.
Habitat Well decayed wood, stumps, logs, rarely on rock, sea level to subalpine
Distribution
from USDA
Throughout Northern Hemisphere
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AK; ID; ME; NH; NY; OR; WA; AB; BC; NB; NL; NS; PE; QC; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East)
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Using growth studies, R. T. T. Forman (1962) suggested that leaf width and shape are influenced by temperature but could be used for species determination in some areas of North America, although it appears to be an inconsistent character and should be used with caution to determine sterile material. The varieties are distinguished by twisting of the superficial cells of the seta in both old, dry, and young, fresh material; the seta itself is twisted when dry.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Seta smooth, superficial cells spirally twisted throughout entire length
var. pellucida
1. Seta usually lightly papillose near base, superficial cells spirally twisted but interspersed with sections of straight cell
var. trachypoda
Source FNA vol. 27, p. 112. FNA vol. 27, p. 112.
Parent taxa Tetraphidaceae > Tetraphis Tetraphidaceae > Tetraphis
Sibling taxa
T. geniculata
T. pellucida
Subordinate taxa
T. pellucida var. pellucida, T. pellucida var. trachypoda
Synonyms Georgia pellucida, T. cuspidata Georgia geniculata
Name authority Hedwig: Sp. Musc. Frond., 45, plate 7, fig. 1a–f. (1801) Milde: Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 23: 155. (1865)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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