Archidium alternifolium (Hedw.) Schimp.

  • Authority

    Sharp, Aaron J., et al. 1994. The Moss Flora of Mexico. Part One: Sphagnales to Bryales. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 69 (1): 1-452.

  • Family

    Archidiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Archidium alternifolium (Hedw.) Schimp.

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants yellow to yellow-green, in dense tufts 3-20 mm high. Stems simple, later forming sterile and fertile innovations subtending the sporophyte. Upper stem leaves clasping, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly triangular-lanceolate, acuminate to ± subulate, channeled; margins plane, entire to faintly serrulate; costa percurrent to short-excurrent; median cells rhomboidal to linear-rhomboidal, becoming shorter above; basal cells rectangular with 2-3 rows at margins quadrate to short-rectangular. Perichaetial leaves erect, concave, broadly ovate-lanceolate, short-acuminate to narrowly lanceolate, long-acuminate to subulate, 1.2-3 mm long; margins plane, entire to faintly serrulate; costa percurrent to short-excurrent; median cells rhomboidal to prosenchymatous, 50-140 x 9-14 µm; basal cells rectangular, thin-walled, hyaline. Paroicous. Antheridia naked or rarely enclosed by 1-2 bracts in axils of perichaetial leaves. Capsules terminal, 1-2 per stem, 0.4-0.8 mm broad. Spores 8-36 per capsule, 125-260 µm, irregularly polyhedral, smooth to faintly papillose.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 18a-e

    A. alternifolium (Hedw.) Schimp., Syn. Muse. Eur. 28. 1860.

    Phascum alternifoliumHedw., Sp. Muse. 24. 1801.

    The paroicous inflorescence separates A. alternifolium from occasional forms of A. ohioense with terminal capsules. The male inflorescences of the latter species generally are visible as axillary buds along the stem. Narrow, firm median cells and faintly serrulate, plane leaf margins distinguish A. alternifolium from similar forms of A. tenerrimum, which has thin-walled, broader, shorter median cells and entire, usually obscurely reflexed leaf margins. The latter also has antheridia naked in the axils of uppermost stem leaves as well the perichaetial leaves.

  • Distribution

    On moist, bare, sandy soil; Mexico (Sierra de Alcaparrosa, Tepotzotlan, Cardenas 4522, MEXU); recorded by Delgadillo (1992b), without locality, from Michoacan. -Mexico; Rorida and Louisiana north to Missouri, Ohio, and North Carolina; western and central Europe, Algeria, Morocco, the Canary Islands and the Azores.

    Mexico North America| United States of America North America| Europe| Algeria Africa| Morocco Africa| Canary Islands of Spain Africa| Azores of Portugal Europe|