Fissidens pellucidus Hornsch.

  • 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

    Fissidentaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Fissidens pellucidus Hornsch.

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants small (up to ca. 4 mm long), ± erect sparingly branched, often tinged with red. Leaves up to ca. 1.7 mm long the perichaetial leaves usually longest, narrowly oblong or lanceolate, acute to broadly and bluntly acute; margins unbordered, entire or crenulate-serrulate; costa ending 2-4 cells below the apex to short-excurrent; dorsal lamina ending at the leaf insertion, narrowed or rounded; vaginant laminae about 1/2 the leaf length, unequal, sometimes with the smaller of each pair narrowed to the costa; cells smooth, ± incrassate, guttulate, irregularly hexagonal, (1 l-)15-18(-20) µm, ± pentagonal and somewhat smaller along the margins, those in lower parts of the vaginant laminae somewhat larger. Rhizautoicous. Setae terminal, 1.5-2.5 mm long; capsules ca. 0.6 mm long; opercula long-rostrate; peristome teeth deeply divided, longitudinally striolate below, spirally thickened above. Spores 9-11 µm, smooth. Calyptrae cucullate, smooth.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 28

    F. pellucidus Homsch., Linnaea 15: 146. 1841.

    F. subcrenatus Schimp. exC. Mull., Syn. Muse. Frond. 2: 531. 1851.

    F. laxus Sull. & Lesq., Proc. Amer. Acad. 4: 276. 1859.

    F.flexinervisMitt., J. Linn. Soc, Bot. 12: 592. 1869.

    F. pyrenocystis Card., Rev. Bryol. 37: 121. 1910.

    The red tinge of the plants and moderately large, firm-walled, guttulate, and pellucid leaf cells easily distinguish this species.

  • Distribution

    On moist, shaded soil at moderate elevations (ca. 2100 m); Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz.—Mexico; Central America; West Indies; northern South America; Alabama, Georgia, Rorida, and Louisiana; Japan and southwestward to Australia; New Caledonia.

    Mexico North America| Central America| West Indies| United States of America North America| Brazil South America| Peru South America| Ecuador South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Japan Asia| New Caledonia Australia Oceania| Philippines Asia| Indonesia Asia|