Tetraplodon mnioides
Tetraplodon
entireleaf nitrogen moss, slender cruet-moss
nitrogen moss
leaves slender- to oblong-lanceolate, or obovate and acuminate;
margins toothed or entire;
apex acute, acuminate, or subulate;
costa usually ending in subula;
proximal laminal cells elongate, rectangular;
distal cells rectangular, hexagonal, or oblong-hexagonal.
oblong-ovate, concave, 1–2 × 3–5 mm;
margins entire;
apex abruptly subulate;
costa vanishing in subula;
distal laminal cells rectangular to oblong-hexagonal, 20 × 35 µm.
stramineous, usually dark red with age, 1–5 cm.
0.2–5 cm, not twisted.
autoicous.
autoicous or rarely dioicous.
not cleistocarpous, red, dark or black with age, long-ovate;
hypophysis somewhat wider than urn distally;
stomata over whole of hypophysis;
operculum bluntly conic.
cleistocarpous or not, yellowish or reddish to dark brown or black, cylindric to ovoid or spindle-shaped;
hypophysis same color or darker than urn, short to elongate, narrower to barely wider than urn;
annulus usually absent;
operculum hemispheric to bluntly conic;
peristome single;
exostome teeth 16, at first ± coherent in 4’s, later in 2’s, usually reflexed when dry, inflexed when moist, of 2 layers of cells.
conic-mitrate.
conic-mitrate or cucullate, small, not constricted beyond base.
9–12 µm, smooth or slightly papillose.
8–12 µm, smooth or slightly papillose.
Tetraplodon mnioides
Tetraplodon
Tetraplodon mnioides is much more common than other species of the genus and is readily distinguished; the plants differ from those of T. angustatus by their larger tufts and longer sporophytes, which are dark red, becoming black with age. Sterile plants of T. mnioides differ from those of T. angustatus by their oblong-ovate, abruptly subulate leaves with entire margins, whereas those of T. angustatus are oblong-lanceolate, gradually subulate, and serrate. The distal laminal cell walls of T. mnioides are rather thin.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species 10 (5 in the flora).
Species of Tetraplodon are entomophilous and coprophilous although apparently restricted to the dung of carnivores, bones, and owl pellets. The hypophysis is well developed, elongate, and usually wrinkled when dry; the exostome teeth are connate in 4’s when young but in 2’s as they age; and the seta is stout.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaves long-lanceolate; margins with large teeth, occasionally entire. | T. angustatus |
1. Leaves ovate or oblong-ovate; margins entire or nearly so | → 2 |
2. Capsules cleistocarpous, clear pale yellow to stramineous; hypophysis conspicuously narrower than urn. | T. paradoxus |
2. Capsules not cleistocarpous, usually reddish to black, rarely yellow to stramineous; hypophysis usually as wide or wider than urn | → 3 |
3. Setae shorter than 1 cm; leaf apices broadly acute; costae ending before subula. | T. urceolatus |
3. Setae 1-5 cm; leaf apices subulate or acuminate; costae ending in subula | → 4 |
4. Leaf apices abruptly subulate; capsules red, dark red to black with age. | T. mnioides |
4. Leaf apices acuminate; capsules pale yellow to stramineous. | T. pallidus |
BC
Flora NW
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
