Cyclodictyon albicaule (Schimp. ex Besch.) Kuntze
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Authority
Buck, William R. 1998. Pleurocarpous mosses of the West Indies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 82: 1-400.
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Family
Pilotrichaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants medium-sized, in ± lustrous, often soft and flaccid, whitish green to yellow-green, thin, sometimes extensive mats. Stems creeping, to ca. 5 cm, irregularly branched, often laxly foliate, complanate-foliate; in cross-section with a unistratose hyalodermis over 1-3 rows of medium-sized firm-walled cells surrounding larger thin-walled cells, central strand none; axillary hairs 2-celled, both hyaline, with a short basal one and an elongate apical one. Leaves often contorted when dry, lateral leaves spreading to wide-spreading dry or moist, broadly ovate, 1.4-2 mm long, ± gradually acute to abruptly short-acuminate, strongly asymmetric, dorsal leaves erect to erect-spreading, ovate to triangular-ovate, 1.1-1.7 mm long, ± abruptly short-acuminate, ± symmetric; margins bordered by 1-2 rows of narrow, elongate cells, becoming shorter above and confluent into a several-celled, 2-3-tiered apiculus, the apical cell 2-4:1, usually subentire, sometimes sharply to bluntly serrulate, plane; costa double, relatively weak, ending 1/2-3/4 the leaf length, sometimes longer, tapering distally, not or only rarely projecting; cells hexagonal to rounded-hexagonal, thin-walled, 1-2:1, 28-57 X 22-34 µm, <15 between costal tips, often ca. 12, not differentiated in the apex, often scarcely differentiated toward the insertion, sometimes somewhat longer, especially juxta-costally; alar cells not differentiated. Asexual propagula unknown. Dioicous. Perichaetia small, inconspicuous, on stems; leaves [only eroded ones seen] pale, erect, lanceolate-ovate, gradually short-acuminate; margins bordered by 1-2 rows of elongate cells, entire, plane; costa double; cells hexagonal to long-hexagonal. Setae elongate, smooth, reddish, ca. 1.5 cm long, curved at extreme apex; capsules suberect to horizontal, short-cylindric, slightly curved and asymmetric, ca. 1.5 mm long; exothecial cells quadrate to short-rectangular, the vertical walls firm, the horizontal ones thin, obscurely collenchymatous; annulus none; operculum long-rostrate from a high-conic base, the rostrum pale; exostome teeth reddish, bordered, on the front surface with a broad median furrow, the furrow pale with a zig-zag median line, the plates cross-striolate below, coarsely papillose above, trabeculate at back; endostome yellowish, with a relatively high, finely papillose basal membrane, segments coarsely papillose, keeled, narrowly perforate above, with baffle-like crosswalls, ca. as long as the teeth, cilia usually single and rudimentary, sometimes none. Spores spherical, smooth, 11-17 µm diam. Calyptrae mitrate, lobed at base, naked, smooth.
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Discussion
3. Cyclodictyon albicaule (Besch.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 835. 1891; Hookeria albicaulis Schimp. ex Besch., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. VI, 3: 232. 1876. Hookeria hyalina Schimp. ex Besch., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. VI, 3: 231. 1876; Cyclodictyon hyalinum (Besch.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 835. 1891. Hookeria subglareosa Broth, in Urb., Symb. Antill. 3: 428. 1903; Cyclodictyon subglareosum (Broth.) Broth, in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1(3): 936. 1907. Cyclodictyon varians var. hioramii Thér., Mem. Soc. Cub. Hist. Nat. “Felipe Poey” 14: 365. 1940, nom. inval. descr. gall. Discussion. Cxclodictyon albicaule is recognized by its strongly asymmetric, broadly ovate lateral leaves with relatively weak costae. The margins are usually subentire and the border is 1(-2) cells wide but confluent into a several-celled apiculus. The species is most likely confused with C bicolor but may be separated by the broader leaves with a weaker costa and subentire border. If one only looks at the leaf margin, confusion might arise from C. varians. However, in C. albicaule there is always a multicellular apiculus, and the leaves are not as acuminate. Cxclodictyon albicaule is common in the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico but rare in Cuba and Hispaniola (and not yet found in Jamaica).
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Distribution
Range. Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique; usually growing on moist soil and rocks, in humid forests, at moderate elevations, usually below 1000 m.
Cuba South America| Dominican Republic South America| Haiti South America| Dominica South America| Guadeloupe South America| Puerto Rico South America| Martinique South America|