Archidium tenerrimum Mitt.

  • 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 tenerrimum Mitt.

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants in loose or dense, perennial tufts 3-10 mm high. Stems simple or branched by sterile or fertile innovations. Upper stem leaves erect-spreading, clasping at the base, ovate, ovate-lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, up to 1.4 mm long; margins entire below, faintly serrulate above; costa percurrent to short-excurrent; median cells narrowly to broadly rhomboidal, becoming shorter above; basal cells rectangular, quadrate to short-rectangular in the alar regions. Paroicous. Antheridia naked in axils of perichaetial leaves and/or upper stem leaves. Perichaetial leaves erect, concave, obovate, short-acuminate to broadly ovate-lanceolate, gradually long acuminate, 1.3-2.9 mm long, with margins entire, frequently obscurely recurved in longer leaves; costa percurrent to faintly excurrent; median cells short-rhomboidal to prosenchymatous, mostly 60-90 x 16-35 µm; basal cells loosely rectangular, thin-walled, usually hyaline in the alar regions. Capsules terminal, 1-3 per stem, 0.4-0.8 mm broad. Spores 4-48 per capsule, 128-218 um, irregularly polyhedral, smooth.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 18f-h

    A. tenerrimum Mitt., J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 8: 17. 1864.

    Differences between this species and A. alternifolium are discussed under the latter. Similar forms of A. hallii differ in being autoicous.

  • Distribution

    On moist, bare, sandy soil; reported from Mexico (Cerro Gordo, Temascalapa, Cardenas 4514, MEXU).—Mexico; southeastern United States; Iceland; western and central Europe, North Africa, Azores, and Canary Islands.

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