Bryum canariense Brid.

  • 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

    Bryaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Bryum canariense Brid.

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants large, ± lustrous, in loose to dense tufts. Stems usually branched by 2-3 innovations. Leaves not many, small and scattered except in a terminal rosette where they are abruptly larger and compactly tufted, imbricate and ± wrinkled when dry, spreading when moist, obovate or obovate-oblong to broadly oblong, scarcely acuminate; margins revolute, serrate or serrulate toward the apex; costa strong, rather short- or long-excurrent; upper cells oblong-rhomboidal, with walls relatively thick and pitted, up to 50 x 20 µm, narrower toward the margin but not forming a distinct border; basal cells rectangular. Dioicous or autoicous. Setae stout, usually 2-3 cm long; capsules nodding or pendulous, up to 5 mm long, ± curved, subcylindric, with a short, slender neck; operculum large, hemispheric or low-conic; peristome teeth well-separated at base; endostome with broadly perforate segments and nodulose to short-appendiculate cilia. Spores 10-15 µm, slightly roughened.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 365

    B. canariense Brid., Muscol. Recent. Suppl. 3: 29. 1817.

    B. hendersonii Ren. & Card., Bot. Gaz. 15: 44. 1890.

    Bryum canariense has oblong-obovate leaves, crowded at the stem tips and having the costa abruptly short- to rather long-excurrent and cells oblong-rhomboidal and rather thick-walled and becoming narrower toward the serrulate to serrate margins.

    Very similar to smaller forms of B. billarderi and its allies, this species has leaves with weaker serration and scarcely differentiated borders.

  • Distribution

    On moist soil or in rock crevices; Nayarit and Puebla.—Mexico; Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina; along the Pacific Ocean in western North America (according to Andrews, 1935-1940); coastal regions of southern Europe and western Africa.

    Africa| Mexico North America| Bolivia South America| Brazil South America| Argentina South America| North America| Europe|