Fissidens lagenarius Mitt. var. lagenarius

Authority

Pursell, Ronald A. 2007. Fissidentaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 101 (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Fissidentaceae

Scientific Name

Fissidens lagenarius Mitt. var. lagenarius

Synonyms

Fissidens lagenarius Mitt., Moenkemeyera wainioi Müll.Hal., Fissidens diplodus var. wainionis (Müll.Hal.) Pursell, Fissidens wainioi O.Yano, Moenkemeyera minutifolia Müll.Hal., Fissidens minutifolius Broth. & P.de la Varde, Fissidens afissidens Brugg.-Nann., Moenkemeyera uleana Müll.Hal., Fissidens uleanus Müll.Hal., Moenkemeyera wainioi var. mollis Müll.Hal., Fissidens wainioi var. mollis O.Yano, Fissidens nanosetus Müll.Hal., Fissidens inflectens Besch., Moenkemeyera obtusifolia R.S.Williams, Fissidens obtusifolius Wilson, Fissidens geminidens Brugg.-Nann.

Description

Variety Description - Plants generally pale green. Stems monomorphic, mostly branched near distal ends, to 9 mm long x 2.5 mm wide, usually less; rhizoids basal, smooth, reddish; axillary hyaline nodules absent; epidermis and outer 1-2 tiers of cortical cells small, in-crassate, pigmented; inner cortical cells larger, thin-walled, hyaline; central strand present. Leaves ± crispate when dry, distant to loosely imbricate, as many as 15 pairs, lanceolate to oblong, acute to obtuse-rounded and apiculate, to 1.8 mm long x 0.4 mm wide; margin crenulate-serrulate, Embate on proximal 1/2-2/3 of vaginant laminae of perichaetial and 1-2 pairs of subtending leaves, limbidial cells unistratose; costa percurrent to ending 29 cells below apex, bryoides type; dorsal lamina usually rounded, sometimes narrowed to insertion; vaginant laminae of cauline leaves ± 1/2 leaf length, acute, unequal, minor lamina ending ± 1/2 the distance between margin and costa or ending on costa; laminal cells distinct, unistratose, eguttulate, firm-walled, mammillose, irregularly hexagonal, 6-8 µm long. Monoicous (gonioautoicous, infrequently cladautoicous and rhizautoicous); perigonia usually gemmiform, axillary just beneath terminal perichaetia; perichaetia terminal on stems and branches. Sporophytes 1-2 per perichaetium, yellow, darkening with age; seta to 1.5 mm long; theca exserted, pale, erect, radially symmetric, cylindric, to 1.1 mm long, stomatose, exothecial cells mostly oblong, vertical walls slightly thicker than horizontal walls; peristome anomalous, teeth erect both wet or dry, undivided or imperfectly and irregularly divided, finely papillose to vertically ridged proximally, sharply and densely papillose to verruculose distally; operculum conic, short-rostrate, to 0.4mm long. Spores minutely papillose, 16-20 µm. Calyptra cucullate, smooth to prorate, 0.4 mm long.

Discussion

Fissidens lagenarius, a species found mostly on tree trunks, branches, and rotting wood is recognized by a suite of characters. The plants, when fresh, are usually a pale green. Sporophytes are often present and are distinctive by their short setae and pale, cylindric thecae. The peristome teeth are usually densely papillose distally and either undivided or imperfectly divided, although infrequently the teeth are smooth or nearly so. Perigonial branches are usually gemmiform and located in leaf axils just below the perichaetia. The limbidium is confined to the vagi-nant laminae of perichaetial and 1-2 pairs of subtending leaves. Laminal cells in var. lagenarius, the more common of the two varieties, are mammillose in comparison to the long, sharp, and often branched papillae of var. muriculatus.

Distribution

Mexico (Chiapas, San Luís Potosí, Tamaulipas, Veracruz); Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama); West Indies (Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent); South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela); on branches and trunks of trees, and rotting wood; 100-2400 m. This variety also occurs in the Samoan and Fiji Islands.

Caquetá Colombia South America| Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni French Guiana South America| Dominica South America| Chiapas Mexico North America| San Luis Potosí Mexico North America| Tamaulipas Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Sacatepéquez Guatemala Central America| Toledo Belize Central America| Atlántida Honduras Central America| Comayagua Honduras Central America| Lempira Honduras Central America| Yoro Honduras Central America| Alajuela Costa Rica Central America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Bocas del Toro Panamá Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America| Santiago de Cuba Cuba South America| Jamaica South America| La Vega Dominican Republic South America| Pedernales Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Risaralda Colombia South America| Tolima Colombia South America| Valle del Cauca Colombia South America| Zulia Venezuela South America| Sipaliwini Suriname South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Ceará Brazil South America| Distrito Federal Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Paraguarí Paraguay South America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America|