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BFNA Title: Scleropodium |
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BRACHYTHECIACEAE
-- Scleropodium
Michael S. Ignatov Plants
medium-sized to
robust, in more or less loose tufts, green to yellowish or brownish green,
glossy. Stems prostrate, with
central strand, densely foliate to cochleariform, irregularly and mostly
sympodially branching; branches similar to stems; axillary hairs 2--4-celled;
juvenile branch leaves triangular, acute. Stem leaves usually closely imbricate, appressed when dry and
wet, rarely erect when wet (S.
californicum), broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, acute,
short–acuminate, rarely long-acuminate; rounded to base, inconspicuously
decurrent; strongly concave, non-plicate; margin plane or recurved near base,
serrulate to subentire; costa reaching 0.6--0.8\x the leaf length, usually
ending in an indistinct abaxial spine, rarely smooth (S. obtusifolium); basal cells short to elongate, more or less
thick-walled, this sometimes making the leaf difficult to detach, alar cells
isodiametric, larger, thin- to thick-walled in a rather small group; laminal
cells flexuose-linear, thick-walled. Branch
leaves similar to stem leaves. Sexual condition dioicous;
perichaetial leaves abruptly contracted from a sheathing base into long,
reflexed acumens. Seta red-brown,
rough throughout or only distally, or smooth. Capsule red-brown, inclined to horizontal, rarely suberect to
inclined (S. caespitans); annulus
separating or not; operculum conic; peristome xerocastique, perfect, cilia
appendiculate or rarely nodose (S.
caespitans). Spores 11--19
\um. Calyptra naked. Species: 5--10 (5 in the flora): w
North America, w Eurasia, n Africa, Atlantic Islands, and the taxonomic
status of East Asian and Australian species within the genus need
confirmation. SELECTED REFERENCES: 1. Stem
leaves broadly ovate-oblong, lacking pointed apex or point indistinct;
subaquatic plants; costa lacking a terminal spine. . . 5. Scleropodium obtusifolium 1. Stem leaves ovate to lanceolate, obtuse, acute, or short-acuminate; terrestrial, epiphytic, or epilithic, usually from rather xeric or mesic habitats; costa ending in a small abaxial terminal spine. 2. Cells across leaf base elongate, ca.
3--6:1, in 2--3 rows; plants medium-sized to rather robust, leaves to 0.6--1
mm wide . . . 4. Scleropodium touretii 2. Cells across leaf base quadrate to
short rectangular, ca. 1--3:1, in 3--4 rows; plants small to medium-sized (S. caespitans), leaves to 0.3--0.6 mm
wide. 3. Leaves acuminate . . . 1. Scleropodium californicum 3. Leaves obtuse, acute, or
short-acuminate. 4. Shoots strongly julaceous, 0.3--0.4
mm wide; leaves broadly acute or obtuse, 0.7--0.9(--1.2) x 0.5--0.6(--0.7)
mm, with length to width ratio usually 1.2--1.5:1 . . . 2. Scleropodium julaceum 4. Branches moderately or sometimes
strongly julaceous; 0.6--0.9 mm wide; leaves acute or shortly acuminate,
0.8--1.6 x 0.3--0.8 mm, with length to width ratio 1.6--2.6:1 . . . 3. Scleropodium caespitans 1. Scleropodium californicum (Lesquereux) Kindberg, Enum. Bryin.
Exot., 35. 1888 Hypnum californicum Lesquereux, Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. n.
s. 13: 13. 1865 Plants small to medium-sized, in rather
loose, thin mats, green to yellowish green. Stems to 5 cm, procumbent with ascending tips; shoots with
leaves, when dry, ca. 0.3 mm wide; branches erect, filiform. Stem leaves loosely imbricate,
appressed when dry (except for the slightly reflexed acumen), erect when wet,
0.8--1.2 x 0.3--0.4(--0.5) mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, margin
serrate to serrulate, occasionally subentire; basal juxtacostal cells either
ca. 10--30 x 5--10 \um, or similar to alar cells in 1--3 rows; alar cells
isodiametric, mostly irregularly polygonal, variable in size, 6--13 \um,
forming an extensive triangular group, usually reaching the costa, sometimes
reaching halfway to costa, indistinctly delimited from neighboring cells; mid
leaf cells 30--65 x 4--6 \um, with obtuse ends. Seta 15 mm, rough distally, smooth to slightly rough proximally. Capsule inclined, curved. Spores 10--14 \um. Soil on rocks
in sunny places; 0--900 m; Scleropodium californicum
is similar Brachythecium albicans but has distinctly thinner shoots. In
anatomical details, it differs in having short laminal cells, opaque basal
cell groups, and serrate or serrulate margins, at least distally. From the
other species of Scleropodium, it
differs in being less julaceous when dry and grows in loose, thin mats. 2. Scleropodium julaceum Plants small, in moderately dense mats, green
to golden green. Stems 2--5 cm,
procumbent, rather fragile; shoots 0.3--0.4 mm wide; branches similar to
stem. Stem leaves closely
imbricate, tightly appressed when dry, erect and slightly spreading when wet,
0.7--0.9(--1.2) x 0.5--0.6(--0.7) mm, with length to width ratio usually
1.2--1.5:1, broadly ovate to semi-orbicular, broadly acute or obtuse in
smaller leaves; margin more or less serrulate in distal portion of leaf,
sometimes almost entire throughout; basal juxtacostal cells 8--10(--12) \um
in 2--5 rows, quadrate, moderately thick-walled, alar cells forming a
triangular group moderately distinctly delimited from neighboring cells,
extending 7--9 cells along margin; mid leaf cells 20--60 x 5--9 \um, rhombic
to linear-flexuose. Seta 6--7 mm,
rough throughout. Capsule
horizontal. Spores ca. 12--19 \um. Rosks, tree
trunks, rather open and sunny places; 0--500 m; Scleropodium julaceum occurs only in southern 3. Scleropodium cespitans ( Hypnum cespitans Plants medium-sized, in moderately dense
extensive mats, green to brownish green. Stems
to 10 cm, procumbent; shoots to 0.9 mm wide, branches often much thinner and
only 0.4--0.5 mm wide; branches julaceous, more slender than in S. tourettii. Stem leaves closely imbricate and tightly appressed, 0.8--1.6 x
0.3--0.8 mm, with length to width ratio 1.6--2.6:1, ovate, acute or very
shortly acuminate, rather weakly rounded to insertion; margin serrulate near
apex, weakly serrulate to subentire proximally; basal juxtacostal cells in
2--3 rows short, 10--20 x 7--10 \um, moderately thick-walled, not colored;
alar cells larger, 10--14 \um, pellucid, thin-walled, forming a small,
compact group rather distinctly delimited from neighboring cells; mid leaf
cells 30--65 x 4--6 \um, oblong, with obtuse angles. Seta to 12 mm, strongly to moderately rough throughout. Capsule suberect to inclined; cilia
of endostome and to horizontal. Spores
ca. 13--16 \um. Tree bases,
tree roots, rotten logs, occasionally rock; 0--1300 m; Alta., B.C.; Ariz.,
Calif., Oreg., Wash.; w Eurasia; n Africa; Atlantic Islands. A number of
characters separate Scleropodium
cespitans from the widespread S.
touretii, but when the latter is represented by small plants, then the
most reliable distinction are characters of the leaf base: cells towards the
leaf base in S. caespitans are
reduced, and when the leaf separates only small remains of cells remain on
the stem, whereas S. touretii has
long and stiff basal cells, considerable portions of which are left on the
stem when the leaf is detached (a similar pattern is commonly seen in Homalothecium). 4. Scleropodium touretii (Bridel) L. F. Koch, Rev. Bryol.
Lichénol. 18: 177. 1949, as
“tourretii” Hypnum touretii Bridel, Muscol. Recent. Suppl. 2: 185.
1812 Plants medium-sized, in rather loose,
extensive tufts, green to yellow- or brownish green. Stems to 10 cm, procumbent; shoots 0.5--1.0 mm wide; branches
julaceous and tumid to distantly foliate, often curved. Stem leaves closely imbricate, 0.9--1.5(--2) x 0.3--1, broadly
ovate to ovate-oblong, rather abruptly narrowed to a short acumen or apiculus;
margin serrulate distally, subentire proximally; basal juxtacostal cells
10--25 x 5--8 \um, elongate, thick-walled and often colored, larger quadrate
cells sometimes occurring in one row below these cells; alar cells few,
quadrate, somewhat larger than juxtacostal cells, 10--12 \um, with moderately
thin walls, forming a small group, often undifferentiated; mid leaf cells
35--65(--90) x 3-5 \um. Seta
10--20 mm, strongly roughened throughout. Capsule inclined to horizontal, curved. Spores 11--14 \um. Varieties 2 (2
in the flora): Scleropodium touretii can be recognized by tumid and turgid
foliage, and by short, but conspicuous, leaf apices that are filiform and
often squarrose. There are difficulties separating S. touretii from S.
obtusifolium and S. caespitans,
see their discussions. Scleropodium
colpophyllum is often treated as a separate species (e.g., D. H. Norris
and J. R. Shevock (2004) and L. E. Anderson et al. (1990), while 1. Branches julaceous, tumid and
turgid; leaves deeply concave . . . 1. Scleropodium
touretii var. touretii 1. Branches variable in foliage, some julaceous, but most of them with widely spreading leaves; leaves moderately concave . . . 2. Scleropodium touretii var. colpophyllum 4a. Scleropodium
touretii (Bridel) L. F. Koch var. touretii Stems to 10 cm, procumbent; shoots 0.7--1.0 mm wide, strongly
julaceous, curved. Stem leaves
closely imbricate to distant, 0.9--1.5(--2) x 0.3--1 mm, strongly concave. Shady grassy
soil and shaded rocks; 0--1500 m; B.C.; Calif., Oreg., Wash.; Mexico (Baja
California); w Eurasia; n Africa; Atlantic Isalnds. 4b. Scleropodium
touretii (Bridel) L. F. Koch var. colpophyllum
(Sullivant) Eurhynchium colpophyllum Sullivant, Icones Musc., Suppl., 95,
plate 71. 1874; Scleropodium
colpophyllum (Sullivant) Grout Stems to 10 cm, procumbent; shoots 0.5--10 mm wide, partly julaceous,
mostly rather loosely foliate, straight to curved. Stem leaves closely imbricate to distant, 0.9--1.6 x 0.4--0.9 mm,
moderately concave. Soil banks and
soil over rocks; occasionally on concrete and rotten logs; 300--1000 m; B.C.;
5. Scleropodium obtusifolium (Mitten) Kindberg, Cat. Canad. Pl.,
Part VI, Musci 202. 1892 Stereodon obtusifolius Mitten, J. Proc. Linnean Soc. 8: 42.
1864 Plants medium-sized to robust, in moderately
loose extensive tufts, green to golden-green. Stems to 15 cm, procumbent or floating; branches julaceous,
tumid, often arching. Stem leaves
closely imbricate, 1.1--1.5 x 0.6--0.9 mm, broadly ovate to ovate-oblong,
rather abruptly narrowed to the obtuse apex, margin slightly serrulate,
although it often appearing entire due to incurved margin leaf margin; basal
juxtacostal cells 10--25 x 5--7 \um, elongate, thick-walled; alar cells
quadrate to short-rectangular, 10--15 x 10--12 \um, moderately thick-walled,
forming small group indistinctly delimited from neighboring cells; mid leaf
cells 40--65 x 5--6 \um. Seta
10--15 mm, strongly roughened throughout. Capsule inclined, curved. Spores
10--16. Rock and
soil in wet places, temporarily submerged, along stream and small creek
banks; 0--2700 m; B.C.; Alaska, Ariz., Calif.,
Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash.; endemic. The basal leaf
cells and strongly tumid habit of Scleropodium
obtusifolium are similar to that of S.
touretii to which this species is obviously related. Leaf tips are obtuse
in this species, but under a stereomicroscope or hand-lens they may appear
somewhat pointed; microscopic examination is required in this case: in S. touretii the acumen is at least
several cells in length, whereas the leaves of S. obtusifolium are obtuse, lacking an acumen. OTHER
REFERENCES Anderson,
L. E., H. A. Crum, and W. R. Buck. 1990. List of the mosses of North America
north of Norris,
D. H. and J. R. Shevock, 2004. Contributions toward a bryoflora of Grout, A.
1928. Moss flora of North America North of Mexico. Vol. 3. Part I. Robinson, H. 1962
[1963]. Generic revisions of North American Brachytheciaceae. Bryologist 65:
73--146. |
