Fissidens bryoides Hedw.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Fissidentaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Fissidens bryoides Hedw.

  • Type

    Type. In Hedwig s had writing: Hypnum bryoides fronde simplicissima pinnata lanceolata, apice pedunculifera. Linn. sp. pi. 2, p. 1588, n. 4, etc., No. 3 (lectotype G, designated by Pursell, 1986; syntypes H-SOL and PC).

  • Synonyms

    Heterodon bryoides (Hedw.) Raf., Dicranum viridulum Sw., Fissidens viridulus (Sw.) Wahlenb., Schistophyllum viridulum (Sw.) Tolf, Fissidens bryoides subsp. viridulus (Sw.) Kindb., Skitophyllum viridulum Lindb. ex Paris, Fissidens bryoides var. viridulus (Sw.) Broth., Fissidens longifolius Brid., Skitophyllum longifolium (Brid.) Bach.Pyl., Schistophyllum longifolium (Brid.) Brid., Fissidens bryoides var. longifolius (Brid.) Hampe, Fissidens exiguus Sull., Fissidens viridulus var. pusillus Wilson, Fissidens pusillus (Wilson) Milde, Schistophyllum pusillum (Wilson) Lindb., Fissidens viridulus subsp. pusillus (Wilson) Kindb., Fissidens minutulus subsp. pusillus (Milde) Wijk & Margad., Fissidens bryoides var. pusillus (Wilson) Pursell

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants light green. Stems monomorphic, unbranched to sparingly branched, 3-11mm long x 0.9-3.2 mm wide; rhizoids basal and axillary, smooth, reddish; axillary hyaline nodules absent; epidermis and outer 1-2 tiers of cortical cells small, incrassate, pigmented or not; central strand present. Leaves ± crispate when dry, usually somewhat imbricate, as many as 20 pairs, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or oblong-lingulate, acute to short acuminate or obtuse-apiculate, 0.8-2.7 mm long x 0.20.5 mm wide, perichaetial leaves usually longest; margin entire, often serrulate distally, limbate, limbidium on all laminae, confluent with costa or ending a few cells below apex, sometimes confined to vaginant laminae of most leaves or only perichaetial leaves, infrequently absent, often edged with chlorophyllose cells in proximal parts of vaginant laminae, limbidial cells uni- to tristratose; costa percurrent to short-excurrent, bryoides type; dorsal lamina narrowed to insertion, not decurrent, sometimes ending above insertion; vaginant laminae of cauline leaves 1/2-2/3 leaf length, mostly acute, ± equal; laminal cells distinct, eguttulate, unistratose, firm-walled, smooth, ± plane, often slightly bulging, irregularly quadrate to hexagonal, 7-16 µm long, somewhat larger in proximal parts of vaginant laminae. Monoicous (rhizautoicous); perigonia and perichaetia terminal on elongate stems; naked antheridia sometimes in leaf axils. Sporophytes 1-2, reddish; seta smooth, 1.4-10 mm long; theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric or ± inclined, ± arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, 0.2-1.2 mm long, stomatose, exothecial cells quadrate to oblong, ± collenchymatous; peristome bryoides type. Spores finely papillose to smooth, 10-20 µm diam. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, to 0.5 mm long.

  • Discussion

    The extensive synonymy associated with Fissidens bryoides is not included here.

    Fissidens bryoides is notoriously variable in leaf shape, limbidium, position of gametangia, and attitude of the capsule. There is no dearth of names that have been introduced to reflect the many expressions. All expressions, however, are monoicous, often with naked axillary antheridia, and characterized by a limbidium of uni- to tristratose cells, laminai cells 7-16 µm long, distinct, typically uni-stratose, smooth, plane to slightly bulging and in transverse section no deeper than wide, exserted capsules, and a bryoides type peristome. The species might be confused with F. crispus which has similar variations in gametangial position, leaf shape, and limbidium, but which differs in having smaller laminai cells with strongly bulging walls, are more or less obscure, and usually arranged in rows in the dorsal and ventral laminae. In transverse section these cells are twice as deep as wide. Some expressions of F. rochensis approach F. bryoides but differ essentially in having a greater degree of bistratose laminal cells, especially along the costa. Fissidens bryoides s. str., i.e., with axillary, gemmiform perigonia, has not been found in the Neotropics.

    Distribution and Ecology: Mexico (México, Veracruz); Central America (Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama); West Indies (Bermuda, Haiti); South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador); on rocks in and along streams, and on soil on stream banks, grassy banks, and in forests; 150-2850 m. This variable species is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere.

  • Distribution

    Pernambuco Brazil South America| Santiago Chile South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Olancho Honduras Central America| México Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Atlántida Honduras Central America| Comayagua Honduras Central America| Copán Honduras Central America| Cortés Honduras Central America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Bermuda South America| Haiti South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Loja Ecuador South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| Maule Chile South America| Buenos Aires Argentina South America|