Scorpidium

Authority

Hedenäs, Lars. 2003. Amblystegiaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 89: 1--107. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Campyliaceae

Scientific Name

Scorpidium

Type

Type. Scorpidium scorpioides (Hedw.) Limpr. The name is derived from scorpio and refers to the shoot apex of S. scorpioides, which resembles the end of a scorpion s tail.

Synonyms

Limprichtia, Scorpidium scorpioides (Hedw.) Limpr., Limprichtia revolvens (Sw.) Loeske

Description

Genus Description - Plants medium-sized to very large, sometimes turgid; green, brownish yellow, brownish to blackish red, or red. Stem irregularly to pinnately branched ± in one plane; central strand present (rarely lacking), slender; outer hyalodermis present at least partially; pseudoparaphyllia foliose; paraphyllia absent; rhizoids smooth, slightly branched; rhizoids or rhizoid initials on stem at or just below leaf insertions; axillary hairs with 2-9(-11) upper hyaline cells. Stem leaves from erect-patent base either gradually curved to ± straight, or abruptly curved in upper part, ovate-lanceolate to broadly ovate, sometimes almost orbicular, not or hardly plicate, concave or strongly concave, not or hardly decurrent; apex obtuse, apiculate, acute, or acuminate; margin plane, finely denticulate or ± entire near leaf apex, entire below; costa either long (ending in upper half of leaf) and single, or short and single or double; median laminal cells linear, unistratose, thin-walled to strongly incrassate, eporose to porose, smooth; alar cells 2-20, differentiated, short- to long-rectangular, thinwalled and hyaline, strongly inflated; alar group small, transverse-triangular. Branch leaves smaller than stem leaves; proximal branch leaves ovate to almost orbicular, erect. Dioicous (outside area also autoicous). Perigonia in autoicous species below perichaetia; perigonial leaves narrowing gradually or abruptly from broad basal part to acute or acuminate apex. Inner perichaetial leaves narrowing gradually or abruptly to acuminate apex, plicate; margin not or indistinctly bordered at shoulder, entire or sometimes denticulate above; costa single and ending in upper half of leaf, sometimes branched or double and shorter; laminal cells smooth; vaginula with paraphyses. Calyptra naked. Seta long, reddish; capsule cylindrical, curved and ± horizontal; annulus separating; operculum conical. Exostome well developed, reticulate or sometimes partially (rarely completely) cross-striolate on outer surface below, papillose above; margin slightly dentate above. Endostome well developed with high basal membrane; segments not or narrow-perforate along midline; cilia 2-5, well developed, nodose. Spores 12.0-21.0 µm, finely papillose. [Sporophytes not known from neotropical material.]

Distribution

Scorpidium includes three species that occur mainly in the northern temperate zone and in some areas of the southern temperate zone. Two species occur at higher altitudes in tropical S America, and one (S. revolvens) is known from Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea.

New Guinea Papua New Guinea Asia|