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timmia moss

Habit Plants without deciduous distal leaves.
Leaf

apex acute;

costa subpercurrent;

sheath clear or yellowish;

limb green, pellucid;

limb-sheath transition abrupt, not sharply angled;

limb margins strongly dentate in distal half, with fewer and smaller teeth below, and a few small sharp teeth at limb-sheath transition;

limb lamina cells (5–)7–16(–21) × (6–)7–12(–14) µm, with low rounded or flattened mamillae on the adaxial surface, abaxial surface smooth;

abaxial surfaces of sheath lamina cells smooth or with 1–6 papillae over lumen;

cells at leaf insertion not fragile and hyaline;

abaxial surface of limb costa smooth (rarely papillose near leaf apex), adaxial cells with rounded or somewhat flattened mamillae.

Sexual condition

monoicous;

perichaetial leaves narrower than vegetative leaves.

Capsule

plicate or puckered when dry;

exothecial cells with non-sinuose walls;

stomata on urn;

endostome cilia with numerous spine-like or branched-stellate appendiculations on the interior surfaces.

Calyptra

with a median longitudinal split, sometimes persistent on the neck of the capsule or seta.

Timmia megapolitana

Distribution
from FNA
HI; North America; Eurasia; n Africa; Atlantic Islands (Iceland)
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Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Timmia megapolitana is a distinct species within the genus, separated by its monoicous sexuality, distinct but pale leaf sheaths, and elaborately appendiculate endostome cilia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Cells of mid-limb lamina (8-)9-12(-14) µm wide; cells of distal part of leaf sheath papillose; calyptra often remaining attached to seta at base of capsule
subsp. megapolitana
1. Cells of the mid-limb lamina (6-)7-10(-12) µm wide; cells of distal part of leaf sheath smooth; calyptra not persistent on seta.
subsp. bavarica
Source FNA vol. 27, p. 167.
Parent taxa Timmiaceae > Timmia
Sibling taxa
T. austriaca, T. norvegica, T. sibirica
Subordinate taxa
T. megapolitana subsp. bavarica, T. megapolitana subsp. megapolitana
Name authority Hedwig: Sp. Musc. Frond., 176. (1801)
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