Pleuridium sullivantii Austin

  • 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

    Ditrichaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pleuridium sullivantii Austin

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants yellow, loosely tufted, about 3-6 mm high, ± curved, club-shaped, julaceous below the enlarged comal leaves. Lower leaves appressed, 0.7-1 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, bluntly acute, with costa percurrent and margins delicately erose-sermlate (the teeth often recurved); upper cells diamond-shaped or oblong-rhomboidal, thick-walled; lower cells subquadrate or short-rectangular. Comal leaves abmptly enlarged and spreading, concave, 1.5-2 mm long, broadly oblong-ovate or obovate, abmptly subulate, with the costa filling most of the subula and excurrent; margins subentire or ± sinuose near the base of the subula; cells oblong- or linear-rhomboidal and thick-walled above, longer and oblong below. Monoicous. Antheridia naked in lower leaf axils. Setae up to 0.5 mm long, erect; capsules immersed, subglobose, minutely apiculate, about 1 mm in diameter, shiny orange-brown. Spores 23-33 µm, densely papillose-spinulose, light orange-brown in mass. Calyptrae cucullate.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 69a-e

    P. sullivantii Aust., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 6: 142.

    This and the following species have club-shaped fertile stems that are julaceous below abruptly enlarged, spreading comal leaves. Sterile plants are julaceous throughout.

  • Distribution

    On soil, bank of arroyo, at 2700 m alt.; Durango (Sharp 1777, TENN).— Western Mexico; Pennsylvania and the southeastern United States.

    United States of America North America| Mexico North America|