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BFNA Title: Catoscopium |
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XXX.
CATOSCOPIACEAE Dale H. Vitt Plants acrocarpous. Stems erect.
Leaves erect, lanceolate, leaf cells smooth. Seta terminal, slender-elongate, dark red. Capsules small, glossy, black, inclined to horizontal, smooth,
ovoid, strongly asymmetric and curved, with mouth pointed downward; stomates
none; peristome diplolepidous; endostome segments reduced to a low membrane;
exostome teeth 16, short, irregular, fragile. Genus 1; North
Temperate areas. Catoscopium Bridel, Bryol. Univ. 1: 112. 1826 * the mouth of the capsule is directed downward and hence “looks down” Plants erect, cushion forming. Stems
slender with reddish tomentum. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, distal
laminal cells ± quadrate, smooth, basal cells longer,
smooth. Seta erect, black. Capsule
asymmetric, ± inclined, peristome reduced. Species 1; North
America, Europe, Asia. 1. Catoscopium nigritum (Hedwig) Bridel, Bryol. Univ. 1:
368. 1826 Plants to 6 cm high. Stem leaves erect-spreading,
three-ranked, flexuose when dry, 0.8--1.5 mm, lanceolate, acuminate; margins
narrowly recurved, entire; distal laminal cells quadrate to
short-rectangular, smooth; basal laminal cells oblong to elongate,
smooth. Sexual condition
dioicous. Perichaetial leaves somewhat larger than vegetative leaves. Seta
8--24 mm. Capsule 0.6--1 mm,
small, shiny; urn ovoid, inclined to horizontal; endostome teeth truncate,
lanceolate, incurved. Calyptra cucullate. Spores
33--48 µm. Confined to
small mounds at the edges of pools in calcareous rich fens; low elevations;
Greenland; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Colo.,
Ind., Iowa, Mich., Minn., Mont., N.Y. The dense
turfs of reddish-black stems with erect, lanceolate leaves characterize this
species. When collections are
fertile, the small, shiny, black capsules with small mouth, reduced
peristome, and inclined posture clearly define the species. |
