Thuidium recognitum
Thuidium
kilt fern moss, lesser tamarisk-moss, thuidium moss
thuidium moss
leaves ± incurved basally and wide-spreading apically when dry, spreading with reflexed apices when moist, broadly ovate, distinctly plicate, 1 mm;
margins plane at least when removed from stem, rarely ± revolute proximally, papillose-serrulate, more strongly so in acumen;
apex abruptly acuminate;
costa nearly filling acumen but disappearing near apex;
distal laminal cells rhombic to oblong-rhombic, to 24 × 8–10 µm. Branch leaves apical cell truncate, multipapillose.
leaves ovate;
margins plane, reflexed, or revolute, papillose-serrulate proximally, often serrulate distally by projecting cell ends;
costa ending before apex;
laminal cells rounded- to oblong-hexagonal, rhombic, or elliptic, coarsely 1-papillose abaxially, papillae sometimes 2-fid, appearing multipapillose.
ovate;
margins incurved, erect, or recurved, entire to denticulate;
apex usually acute;
costa ending before apex, not covered with cells apically;
laminal cells rounded, hexagonal, elliptic, or oblong-rhombic, 1-papillose.
2–4.2 cm.
smooth or rarely papillose.
dioicous;
perichaetial leaves lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, margins sometimes ciliate, costa ending near apex, laminal cells smooth or somewhat papillose.
2–3.5 mm;
operculum 0.7–1 mm, long-conic or bluntly short-rostrate;
endostome cilia in groups of 2 or 3.
inclined to horizontal, curved-cylindric, asymmetric;
annulus 2–4-seriate;
operculum conic or rostrate from convex-conic base;
endostome segments not perforate, cilia in groups of 2–4.
11–16 µm, smooth or nearly so.
branch leaves to 0.5 mm;
costa shorter.
branch leaves 0.2 mm;
apex acute;
costa 1/3–2/3 leaf length.
leaves to 4.2 mm, margins denticulate, sometimes dentate or notched near base of acumen.
Thuidium recognitum
Thuidium
The specific epithet of Thuidium recognitum was applied by Hedwig because he recognized the many differences that separate the species from T. delicatulum: stem leaves that are shortly, broadly, and abruptly acuminate and plicate, with margins plane or nearly so; costa spreading out and nearly filling the acumen; stem leaf apices wide-spreading from an arched and incurved base; perichaetial leaves eciliate; paraphyllia papillose at or near cell ends; and operculum not or only shortly and bluntly rostrate. The secondary branch leaves of T. recognitum are erect-spreading when dry or moist and have rhombic distal laminal cells, 8–12 × 8–10 µm, that are thick-walled and stoutly 1-papillose with papillae somewhat curved.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species ca. 230 (4 in the flora).
Thuidium is characterized by abundant, 2- or 3-pinnate paraphyllia; dioicous sexuality; dimorphic stem and branch leaves with short, thick-walled cells that are papillose abaxially and nearly always 1-papillose; stem leaves with base ± plicate and laminal cells ± uniform; apical cells of branch leaves usually truncate and multipapillose; and setae nearly always smooth. The capsule is smooth, with a short neck. The genus is treated here in a sense exclusive of Abietinella, Cyrto-hypnum, and Rauiella (see W. R. Buck and H. A. Crum 1990). Abietinella is relatively robust and has 1-pinnate branching, abundant paraphyllia, dioicous inflorescences, laminal cells 1-papillose on both surfaces, and 3- or 4-celled, brown axillary hairs. Cyrto-hypnum and Rauiella are small with autoicous inflorescences, paraphyllia short and not much branched, and laminal cells papillose on both surfaces (most commonly multipapillose). Cyrto-hypnum has mostly 2-pinnate branching, 2-celled axillary hairs, leaves incurved when dry, laminal cells plane, and setae often roughened. Rauiella has 1-pinnate branching, 3-celled axillary hairs, leaves not incurved when dry, strongly bulging laminal cells, and smooth setae.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Stems usually 3-pinnate; branch leaf apical cell acute, smooth. | T. tamariscinum |
1. Stems usually 2-pinnate; branch leaf apical cell truncate, multipapillose | → 2 |
2. Stem leaves incurved basally and spreading apically when dry, distinctly plicate; costae nearly filling acumen; paraphyllia papillose at cell ends. | T. recognitum |
2. Stem leaves ± erect when dry, not or somewhat plicate; costae not filling acumen; paraphyllia papillose at sides of cells or cell ends | → 3 |
3. Stem leaf apices short-pointed; margins plane or sometimes reflexed basally; distal laminal cells appearing 1-3-papillose because papillae 2-fid. | T. alleniorum |
3. Stem leaf apices acuminate; margins revolute throughout; laminal cells coarsely 1-papillose, not appearing multipapillose, papillae sometimes 2-fid. | T. delicatulum |
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