Weissia controversa
Weissia muhlenbergiana
controverial weissia moss, green-cushion weissia moss, green-tuft stubble-moss, pigtail moss
mouthless 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 little differentiated to triangular or narrowly elliptic, shoulders absent, distal laminal margins plane or erect, apex broadly channeled or plane, acute, mucro very strong, of 6–10(–14) cells;
costal adaxial stereid band smaller than the abaxial;
distal laminal cells 8–10 µm wide.
elongate, 0.3–0.8 cm.
very short, less than 0.05 cm not including the vaginula.
monoicous.
cladautoicous.
stegocarpic, long-ovate to cylindric, operculum differentiated, falling, peristome present, teeth rudimentary to lanceolate, or occasionally absent.
cleistocarpic, round, with a short-rostrate or conic, occasionally angled or curved apiculus.
Weissia controversa
Weissia muhlenbergiana
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.)
As with Weissia ludoviciana, the gametophyte of W. muhlenbergiana is like that of W. brachycarpa, but differs to some extent in the distal leaf margins occasionally sharply inflexed. If the sporophyte has a hybrid origin, then the archegoniate parent has characteristics of both W. controversa and W. brachycarpa. The hybrid W. muehlenbergiana × W. controversa was reported by C. Williams (1966).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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