Weissia controversa
Weissia jamaicensis
controverial weissia moss, green-cushion weissia moss, green-tuft stubble-moss, pigtail moss
Jamaican weissia 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.
long-lanceolate, base strongly differentiated, rectangular, shoulders strong, distal laminal margins strongly and sharply incurved or inrolled, apex usually somewhat cucullate, acute or narrowly obtuse, mucro usually weak, of 1–3 cells;
costa adaxial stereid band almost as large as or larger than the abaxial;
distal laminal cells 8–11 µm wide.
elongate, 0.3–0.8 cm.
monoicous.
dioicous (archegoniate plants).
stegocarpic, long-ovate to cylindric, operculum differentiated, falling, peristome present, teeth rudimentary to lanceolate, or occasionally absent.
absent in range of the flora.
Weissia controversa
Weissia jamaicensis
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.)
West Indian specimens of Weissia jamaicensis are distinct in the adaxial stereid band larger than the abaxial, the adaxial surface of the costa strongly bulging, and the strongly differentiated, sheathing leaf base with distinct shoulders and thick-walled medial cells bordered by thin-walled marginal cells running up the leaf in a V (as in Tortella). In the flora area, W. jamaicensis may exhibit an adaxial stereid band not as large as the abaxial band, and a poorly differentiated leaf base (as in Texas, Redfearn 30559, MO). Such specimens may be distinguished from the similar T. crispulum, however, by the sharply incurved distal leaf margins and bulging adaxial costal surface.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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