BFNA Title: Anomobryum
Author: J. Spence
Date: February 3, 2011
Edit Level: R
Version: 1

Bryophyte Flora of North America, Provisional Publication
Missouri Botanical Garden
BFNA Web site: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/BFNA/bfnamenu.htm

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XX. ANOMOBRYUM Schimper, Syn. Musc. Eur., 382. 1860 * [Greek; anomo, lawless, and bryum, a moss alluding to the somewhat hypnaceous distal laminal cells]

 

John R. Spence

 

Plants acrocarpous; small, gregarious or in thin mats, pale green to yellow-green. Stems short, 0.5--2.5 cm, weakly to strongly julaceous, often appearing string-like, not or weakly branched, stolons absent; rhizoids scarce, micronemata and macronemata absent or present in clusters on proximal stem. Leaves imbricate dry, erect when wet, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, flat to concave, 0.3--1.5 mm, basal insertion straight or slightly curved, not decurrent; margins plane distally, recurved proximally or often plane throughout, 1-stratose, ± nearly smooth, limbidium absent, apex broadly rounded to acute, sometimes slightly hyaline; costa not reaching apex or very short-excurrent in a smooth point, transverse section with single stereid band, usually well developed, guide cells absent; adaxial supracostal cells irregularly to regularly quadrate or short-rectangular at base; laminal cells distinctly heterogenous, proximal cells usually quadrate or short-rectangular, 1--2:1, medial cells generally similar to distal cells, distal cells elongate-hexagonal to vermicular, 6--10:1, not in rows oblique to the costa, thin- to thick-walled, walls not pitted, alar cells not differentiated from juxtacostal cells. Specialized asexual reproduction by small leafy bulbils in leaf axils. Sexual condition dioicous; perigonia and perichaetia terminal, leaves the same size as vegetative leaves or typically larger, not forming a rosette, inner leaves little differentiated. Seta 1, straight to somewhat twisted. Capsule inclined to erect, 2--4 mm, elongate-pyriform, ovate or cylindric, hypophysis somewhat differentiated, exothecial cells near mouth quadrate or short-rectangular, thick-walled, reddish, in 1--2 rows, proximal cells longer, irregularly  long-rectangular with straight or sinuose walls; annulus usually present, revoluble; operculum weakly convex, short-conic, not rostrate; peristome double, single or rarely absent, exostome pale yellow or tan, teeth slender lanceolate, trabeculate, lacking pores along fissural line, endostome hyaline to pale yellow, separate from exostome, or sometimes adherent or absent, segments present or absent, basal membrane low to high, cilia present or sometimes absent. Calyptra fugacious, cucullate, small, smooth. Spores shed singly, not as tetrads, not germinating in capsule, 8--15 \um, finely papillose, pale tan or yellow-tan.

 

Species ca. 30 (2 in the flora). Worldwide.

 

Anomobryum is distributed in temperate to alpine regions of the world, the species concentrated in the mountains of Mexico and Central and South America. Although morphologically similar to Bryum, molecular studies consistently show that the types of the two genera, A. julaceum and B. argenteum, are not closely related. Species of Anomobryum can generally be distinguished from Bryum by their elongate, very slender stems, suggestive of pieces of string. Bryum species tend to have thicker, more rounded stems that are relatively short. Additional studies are needed with a larger sample of species to confirm the molecular results.

 

SELECTED REFERENCES: Andrews, A. L. 1935. Bryaceae. In: Grout, A. J. Moss flora of North America, Vol. 2. Newfane, Vermont. Holyoak, D.T. and H. Köckinger. A taxonomic revision of some European and Asian bulbiferous species of Anomobryum (Bryophyta: Bryaceae). J. Bryol. 32: 153--169. Ochi, H. 1980. A revision of the Neotropical Bryoideae, Part 1. J. Faculty Educ. Tottori Univ., Nat. Sci. 29: 49--154.  Pedersen, N., C. J. Cox, and L. Hedenäs. 2003. Phylogeny of the moss family Bryaceae inferred from chloroplast DNA sequences and morphology. Syst. Bot. 28: 471--482.  Shaw, J. and A. J. Fife. 1984. The evolutionary and taxonomic significance of peristome morphology in Anomobryum (Bryaceae, Musci). J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 57: 285--298. Spence, J. R. and H. P. Ramsay. 2002. The genus Anomobryum Schimp. (Bryopsida, Bryaceae) in Australia. Telopea 9: 777--792.  

 

 

1. Stems weakly and loosely julaceous; leaves flat to weakly concave, costa variable but in at least some leaves percurrent to short-excurrent; bulbils sometimes present; capsule erect or suberect, peristome reduced, cilia absent …………….………………………….… 1. Anomobryum concinnatum

1. Stems strongly julaceous; leaves concave, costa typically reaching midleaf or 2/3\x lamina length, rarely percurrent; bulbils lacking; capsule nodding, peristome perfect ………………...............................………………..……… 2.  Anomobryum julaceum

 

 

1. Anomobryum concinnatum (Spruce) Lindberg, Öfvers Förh. Kongl. Svenska Vetensk.-Akad. 18: 277. 1861

 

Bryum concinnatum Spruce, Musci Pyren., 121. 1847; Anomobryum julaceum var. concinnatum (Spruce) J. E. Zetterstatt; A. leptostomoides Schimper

 

Plants in thin mats or scattered, pale green to yellow-green. Stems  0.5--1.5 cm, brown to orange, weakly julaceous. Leaves strongly imbricate dry, broadly ovate or ovate-lanceolate, flat to somewhat concave, 0.6--1.4 mm, margins smooth, apex broadly acute, not hyaline, costa percurrent to short-excurrent as smooth point, laminal distal cells elongate-rhomboidal, 40--60 \um, 6:1, thick-walled, not or weakly sinuose. Specialized asexual reproduction of small red-brown leafy bulbils in axils of leaves. Seta 2--3 cm, flexuose. Capsule erect or suberect, red, 1--3 mm,  ovate-cylindric; peristome single, highly reduced, of unknown origin, segments and cilia lacking. Spores 8--15 \um.

 

Capsules very rare, maturing July--September. Locally common on acidic seepy or damp soil or soil over rock, often on ledges; 0--3500 m; Greenland; B.C., N.B., Nfld. & Labr., N.W.T., Que.; Alaska, Calif., Colo., Maine, Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., N.Y., N.C., Tenn., Utah, Va., Wis.; Mexico; Eurasia.

 

Anomobryum concinnatum is a widespread boreal-temperate species identical to material of the synonym A. leptsostomoides in gametophyte features.  Specimens assigned to the latter name are few and produce erect capsules with highly reduced peristomes.  I have interpreted these as fertile specimens of A. concinnatum, a name with priority.  Because this species is rarely separated from A. julaceum by other workers, the distributions of the two in North America are tentative and need further study. Of the two, A. concinnatum is the more widespread. A recent collection from Utah has leaves with a short-excurrent costa, and in other respects is similar to Mexican material described as A. julaceum var. mexicanun Schimper.  More studies are needed to determine whether this is a good taxon; it is not recognized in this treatment.

 

2. Anomobryum julaceum (Schrader ex P. Gaertner, B. Meyer & Schreber) Schimper, Syn. Musc. Eur., 383. 1860

 

Bryum julaceum (Schrader ex P. Gaertner, B. Meyer & Schreber, Oekon. Fl. Wetterau 3(2): 97. 1802; Pohlia filiformis (Dickson) Andrews

 

Plants in thin mats or scattered, pale green to yellow-green. Stems  0.5--1.5 cm, brown to orange, strongly julaceous. Leaves loosely imbricate dry, broadly ovate or ovate-lanceolate, distinctly concave, 0.6--1.2 mm, margins smooth, apex broadly acute, not hyaline, costa not reaching apex, laminal distal cells elongate-vermicular, 60--100 \um, 8--10:1, thick-walled, sinuose. Specialized asexual reproduction absent. Seta 2--3 cm, flexuose. Capsule inclined to nodding, brown or red-brown, 1--2 mm, ovate-pyriform; peristome double, exostome pale brown basally, hyaline distally, endostome well developed, high, segments broadly perforated, cilia 1--3, appendiculate to nodose. Spores 8--13 \um.

 

Caspules very rare, maturing June--September. Locally common on acidic seepy or damp soil or soil over rock, often on ledges; 0--4000 m; Greenland; Alta., B.C., N.W.T., Nunavut, Yukon; Alaska, Calif., Colo., Conn., Mich., Minn., N.C., N.Y., Pa., Wis.; Mexico; Central America; South America; Eurasia; Africa; Subantarctic Islands.

Anomobryum julaceum is a widespread boreal-temperate species. Material from southern California and Mexico has been referred to the var. mexicanum Schimper, but I do not recognize this variety (see above).