Fissidens santa-clarensis Thér.
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Authority
Pursell, Ronald A. 2007. Fissidentaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 101 (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Fissidentaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Types. Cuba. Caracusey Valley, Gavilanes, Sancti Spiritus Mountains, León & Clément 6479 (holotype, PC; isotypes, MICH, NY). Las Martinas, Acuña 584 (paratypes, DUKE, PC), Acuña 586 (paratype, PC).
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Synonyms
Fissidens allenianus Brugg.-Nann. & Pursell
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Description
Species Description - Plants light green. Stems monomorphic, to 7.5 mm long x 1.5-2.5 mm wide, unbranched and sparingly branched; rhizoids basal and axillary, smooth, reddish; axillary hyaline nodules absent; epidermis and outer 1-2 tiers of cortical cells small, incrassate, pigmented; inner cortical larger, thin-walled, hyaline; central strand present or absent. Leaves mostly inrolled from tips when dry, imbricate, as many as 25 pairs, oblong-lingulate, abruptly narrowed, rounded-obtuse, often undulate, 1.2-2.0 mm long x 0.3-0.4 mm wide, perichaetial leaves often longest; margin crenulate, elimbate; costa ending 4-10 cells below leaf apex, oblongifolius type, distal part in transverse section showing 2 stereid bands separated by 4 enlarged cells arranged in 2 rows; dorsal lamina narrowed, rounded, ending a short distance above insertion; vaginant laminae of cauline leaves 1/2-2/3 leaf length, acute, slightly unequal, minor lamina ending near margin; lamina cells distinct, eguttulate, unistratose, firm-walled, lenticularly thickened in dorsal and ventral laminae, 6-9 pm long, plane or nearly so in vaginant laminae. Monoicous (cladautoicous); perigonia and perichaetia terminal on branches. Sporophytes 1 per perichaetium, yellow, darkening with age; seta smooth, 2.0-4.5 mm long; theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric, 0.3-1.0 mm long, stomatose, exothe-cial cells quadrate to oblong, ± collenchymatous, vertical walls thicker than horizontal walls; peristome similiretis type; operculum conic, long-rostrate, 0.5-0.6 mm long. Spores finely to coarsely papillose, 11-15 µm diam. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, 0.7-0.8 µm long.
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Discussion
Both Fissidens santa-clarensis and F. dendrophilus have a well formed, similiretis type peristome and persistent leaves, unlike F. radicans which has undivided peristome teeth and caducous leaves. The abruptly narrowed, obtuse-rounded leaf apices, however, will distinguish F. santa-clarensis from F. dendrophilus and F. radicans. North American workers, e.g., Bartram (1949), Breen (1963), Crum and Anderson (1981), and Grout (1943) referred specimens of F. santa-clarensis to F. radicans.
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Distribution
Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Yucatán); Central America (Belize, Guatemala); West Indies (Bahama Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico); on trunks of living trees, fallen trees, rotting wood, and limestone; near sea level-600 m. This species occurs also in the southeastern United States (Florida).
Villa Clara Cuba South America| Campeche Mexico North America| Chiapas Mexico North America| Quintana Roo Mexico North America| Yucatán Mexico North America| Petén Guatemala Central America| Belize Belize Central America| Cayo Belize Central America| Toledo Belize Central America| Grand Bahama Bahamas South America| Great Abaco Bahamas South America| New Providence Bahamas South America| San Salvador Bahamas South America| La Habana Cuba South America| Trelawny Jamaica South America| Distrito Nacional Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Saint Thomas Jamaica South America|