Puiggariella

  • Authority

    Sharp, Aaron J., et al. 1994. The Moss Flora of Mexico. Part Two: Orthotrichales to Polytrichales. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 69 (2)

  • Family

    Hypnaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Puiggariella

  • Description

    Genus Description - Plants relatively large, in loose, shiny, yellow-green to yellow-brown mats. Stems creeping or arched, up to 6 cm long, subpinnately branched, in section elliptic, with smaller cortical cells and a slightly differentiated central strand; pseudoparaphyllia foliose, triangular-lanceolate. Branches loosely arranged, horizontally spreading, up to 1.2 cm long. Stem and branch leaves differentiated, crowded to loosely arranged, erect-spreading to spreading. Stem leaves strongly plicate, 1.6-1.9 x 0.7-1.1 mm, ovate to subcordate-triangular, gradually or abmptly narrowed to a rather short acumen, slightly decurrent and auriculate, ± concave at the alar regions; margins narrowly recurved below, sharply serrulate throughout; costae separate at base, extending 1/3 the leaf length; upper median cells linear, 40-60(-70) x (2-)3-5 µm, papillose at back because of projecting upper ends; basal cells shorter and thick-walled; alar cells enlarged, subrectangular, with thick, porose walls. Branch leaves smaller, 1.5-1.7 x ± 0.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, with margins more strongly sermlate and alar groups less differentiated. Dioicous. Perigonial bracts ovate, abmptly long-acuminate, concave, not plicate, subentire. Perichaetial leaves sheathing at base, abmptly narrowed to a squarrose, non-plicate, weakly sermlate acumen. Setae 15-18 mm long, smooth, red-brown; capsules 1-1.5 mm long, inclined to horizontal, strongly contracted below the mouth when dry; operculum long-rostrate; peristome well developed and hypnoid. Spores finely papillose. Calyptrae long-cucullate, hairy.

  • Discussion

    This monotypic genus is characterized by differentiated stem and branch leaves plicate, toothed all around, and papillose at back because of projecting cell ends; the alar cells are differentiated in somewhat excavate groups. Nishimura (1989) may be consulted for more details.