Weissia controversa
Weissia brachycarpa
controverial weissia moss, green-cushion weissia moss, green-tuft stubble-moss, pigtail moss
moss
short- to long-lanceolate, base weakly differentiated to ovate, shoulders weak or absent, distal laminal margins strongly and usually but not always sharply incurved or inrolled, apex plane to channeled, acute, mucro usually weak, of 1–5(–8) cells;
costal adaxial stereid band smaller than the abaxial;
distal laminal cells 6–13 µm wide.
lanceolate to long-lanceolate, base weakly differentiated to elliptic, shoulders weak or absent, distal laminal margins very broadly incurved to erect, apex broadly channeled, acute, mucro usually very strong, of 5–7(–10) cells;
costal adaxial stereid band smaller than the abaxial;
distal laminal cells 8–12 µm wide.
elongate, 0.3–0.8 cm.
elongate, (0.2–)0.28–0.4 cm.
monoicous.
cladautoicous.
stegocarpic, long-ovate to cylindric, operculum differentiated, falling, peristome present, teeth rudimentary to lanceolate, or occasionally absent.
stegocarpic, ovoid, often slightly curved or bulging on one side, operculum differentiated, falling, peristome absent.
Weissia controversa
Weissia brachycarpa
This treatment of Weissia controversa follows the study of A. Stoneburner (1985), which justifiably included W. andrewsii, and, agreeing with H. A. Crum and L. E. Anderson (1981), pointed out the great variation in peristome development including occurrence of both eperistomate and peristomate capsules in the same collection. The present treatment includes all flora area reports of W. condensa, a morphologically distinct European species with characters as listed in Excluded Species. Rhizoidal gemmae were reported by W. D. Reese (1988) but these are apparently rare. Weissia viridula Bridel is an illegitimate name that has been much used for this taxon.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Weissia brachycarpa is a new name for the illegitimate combination Weissia microstoma (Hedwig) Müller Hal.
Weissia brachycarpa is easily distinguishable from related Weissia by the mostly plane (not tightly inrolled) distal leaf margins and usually a rather large mucro, composed of ca. 10 clear cells, but often only of 4–6 cells; other Weissia species have mucros of about six cells. Often the distal margins are sharply incurved (a sharp inflexion seen in section) and although the gametophyte has the appearance otherwise of Trichostomum crispulum, the largely plane (or broadly incurved) distal margins may be taken as a secondary character, perhaps a reduction. Weissia ludoviciana, likewise, has largely plane distal leaf margins, but inflexion may be evident in some specimens. In addition, the very long and narrow leaves of W. brachycarpa and W. ludoviciana are not duplicated in Trichostomum except in the T. tenuirostre complex. Weissia brachycarpa is cladautoicous, with perigonial buds borne in the axils of lower branches of robust fruiting plants. Weissia brachycarpa is related to W. rutilans of the Old World by the nearly identical gametophytes; the latter species differs in the rudimentary peristome teeth, and slightly larger spores. The nomenclature of W. brachycarpa is intricate; see discussions by M. O. Hill (1981) and T. J. Koponen et al. (1977).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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