Thuidium delicatulum
common fern moss, delicate thuidium moss
leaves ± erect, appressed when dry, erect-spreading when moist, triangular-ovate, not plicate, 0.6–1.5 mm;
margins revolute throughout, papillose-serrulate;
apex acuminate;
costa ending well before apex;
distal laminal cells irregularly oblong-hexagonal or rhombic, 6–10 × 8–12 µm, papillae sometimes 2-fid, not appearing multipapillose.
apical cell truncate, multipapillose.
1.5–4.5 cm.
1.8–4 mm;
operculum 0.7–2 mm, long-rostrate;
endostome cilia in groups of 2 or 3.
12–24 µm, smooth.
branch leaves to 0.5 mm;
costa 1/2–2/3 leaf length.
branch leaves 0.3 mm;
apex acute;
costa to 1/2 leaf length.
leaves to 5 mm, margins not ciliate to ciliate proximally, often denticulate distally.
Thuidium delicatulum
Varieties 10 (2 in the flora).
Thuidium delicatulum, if confused with T. recognitum, can be recognized by the stem leaves erect or erect-spreading when moist, not plicate and rather gradually acuminate, with margins recurved to the base of the acumen and costa ending well before the apex. The paraphyllia have small papillae along the cell midpoints. The laminal cells are stoutly 1-papillose, but often, especially in the South, the papillae are 2-fid. The branch leaf laminal cells are rhombic, 6–8 × 8–12 µm, with curved papillae. The operculum is long-rostrate.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Stem leaf apices not ending in hyaline point of 1-seriate cells; perichaetial leaf margins ciliate proximally. | var. delicatulum |
1. Stem leaf apices ending in hyaline point of 1-seriate cells; perichaetial leaf margins usually not ciliate, sometimes sparsely so. | var. radicans |
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