Grimmia anodon Bruch & 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

    Grimmiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Grimmia anodon Bruch & Schimp.

  • Description

    Species Description - Stems up to 12 mm high. Leaves imbricate to erect-spreading, concave or somewhat keeled at the tip, 1-1.8 mm long (exclusive of hair points that are usually long in upper leaves, shorter or lacking in lower), ovate to oblong- or ovate-lanceolate; margins entire, plane to erect, often bistratose at the apex; upper cells often bistratose in part, ± quadrate, 6-12 µm, somewhat thick-walled but not sinuose; basal cells elongate, hyaline, thin-walled. Autoicous. Perichaetial leaves similar to upper stem leaves but larger, up to 2.4 mm long, exclusive of hyaline, usually denticulate hair points varying from very short to 0.6 mm long. Setae slender, curved, shorter than the capsule and excentric in attachment; capsules immersed, about 1 mm long, ± globose, ventricose at base, smooth or ± wrinkled when dry; annulus persistent, of 1 layer of cells; operculum convex; peristome none. Spores smooth, 6-9 µm. Calyptrae mitrate.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 294

    G. anodon B.S.G., Bryol. Eur. 3(fasc. 25/28). 1845.

    Schistidium anodon (B.S.G.) Loeske, Laubm. Eur. 1: 49. 1913.

    Grimmia anodon var. anomala Bartr., Bryologist 27: 59. 1924.

    The bulging-ventricose capsules, excentrically attached to a short, curved seta, and the absence of a peristome characterize this species. Grimmia americana Bartr., which is similar but peristomate, is known from Texas and Arizona and can reasonably be expected to occur in Mexico. A sterile specimen from the Valle de Mexico collected by Amable and referred to G. involucrata by Theriot (1931) was annotated by Lawton as indistinguishable in gametophytic character from G. americana. Sayre (1952) placed G. americana in the synonymy of G. involucrata (which also has alar cells with thickened cross walls), but the latter is more properly referred to the synonymy of G. affinis. Likely as it may seem, it is better not to accept a sterile specimen as a certain record of G. americana from Mexico.

  • Distribution

    On soil (or soil over rock) up to about 4000 m alt.; Baja California, Nuevo Leon (Cerro de Potosi.—Northeastern Mexico; widespread from the Yukon to California and Utah, east to North Dakota, Quebec and New Brunswick; Europe; Asia; Africa.

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