Compilation
Fissidens pusillus

34 Images see all

Previous
Next

Name

Identification
Fissidens pusillus Not on sheet [family FISSIDENTACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Cardot, Fissidens pusillus Not on sheet [family FISSIDENTACEAE ] Verified by Not on sheet,
Related name
  • Fissidens pusillus

Flora

Entry for Fissidens bryoides Hedwig [family ]
Herbarium
Flora of North America (FNA)
Collection
Flora of North America
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of North America, Vol 27,
Names
Fissidens bryoides Hedwig [family ], Sp. Musc. Frond., 153. 1801,
Fissidens andersonii Grout [family ]
Fissidens bryoides var. incurvus (Starke) Hübener [family ]
Fissidens bryoides var. pusillus (Wilson) Pursell [family ]
Fissidens exiguus Sullivant [family ]
Fissidens exiguus var. falcatulus (Renauld & Cardot) Grout [family ]
Fissidens pusillus (Wilson) Milde [family ]
Fissidens synoicous Sullivant [family ]
Fissidens texanus Lesquereux & James [family ]
Fissidens viridulus (Swartz) Wahlenberg [family ]
Fissidens viridulus var. pusillus Wilson [family ]
Fissidens viridulus var. tamarindifolius (Turner) Grout [family ]
Fissidens viridulus var. texanus (Lesquereux & James) Grout [family ]
Information
Plants 3–11 × 0.9–3.2 mm. Stem unbranched and branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand usually present. Leaves as many as 20 pairs, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or oblong-lingulate, acute to short-acuminate or obtuse-apiculate, to 0.8–2.7 × 0.2–0.5 mm; dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at or before insertion, infrequently slightly decurrent; vaginant laminae 1/2 leaf length, mostly equal; margin entire but often serrulate distally, limbate on all laminae, limbidium reaching apex or ending a few cells before or partially absent to infrequently completely absent, limbidial cells 1–3-stratose; costa excurrent to ending as many as 6 cells before apex, bryoides-type; laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, often slightly bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, a few elongate, 6.5–16 µm, somewhat larger in proximal parts of vaginant laminae. Sexual condition polyoicous; naked antheridia and archegonia often in axils of distal leaves. Sporophytes 1–2 per perichaetium. Seta 1.4–10 mm. Capsule theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric to ± inclined, bilaterally symmetic, 0.2–1.2 mm; peristome bryoides-type; operculum 0.5 mm. Calyptra cucullate smooth, to 0.5 mm. Spores 10–20 µm.
Distribution
GreenlandN. J.N. Mex.N. Dak.S.D.W. Va.MexicoWest IndiesCentral AmericaSouth AmericaEuropeAsia.USA Ala.USA AlaskaUSA Ariz.USA Ark.USA Calif.USA Colo.USA Conn.USA Del.USA Fla.USA Ga.USA IdahoUSA Ill.USA Ind.USA IowaUSA Kans.USA Ky.USA La.USA MaineUSA Md.USA Mass.USA Mich.USA Minn.USA Miss.USA Mo.USA Mont.USA N.H.USA N.Y.USA N.C.USA OhioUSA Okla.USA Oreg.USA Pa.USA R.I.USA S.C.USA Tenn.USA Tex.USA UtahUSA Vt.USA Va.USA Wash.USA Wis.USA Wyo.Canada Alta.Canada B.C.Canada N.B.Canada Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.)Canada N.W.T.Canada N.S.Canada NunavutCanada Ont.Canada P.E.I.Canada Que.Canada Yukon
Discussion
Fissidens bryoides is a veritable kaleidoscope of intergrading expressions. At one extreme is F. bryoides in the strict sense, with plants gonioautoicous and the limbidium, 1–3 cells thick, confluent at the leaf apex with the percurrent to short-excurrent costa. At the other extreme is the expression that has been singled out as F. exiguus, with plants rhizautoicous and the 1-stratose limbidium usually restricted to the vaginant laminae of perichaetial leaves. In rare cases the limbidium can be absent from all leaves. All expressions, however, have clear, distinct, 1-stratose, irregularly hexagonal laminal cells, 6.5–16 µm, that in transverse section are no deeper than wide, and that have smooth walls that can be slightly bulging. H. A. Crum and L. E. Anderson (1981) illustrated the major expressions found in the flora area. Axillary, multicellular gemmae have been reported in Indian specimens.

Related Materials