Neckeropsis undulata (Hedw.) Reichardt
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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
Neckeraceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants small to medium-sized, mostly soft but sometimes ± stiff, in dull, mostly pale-green, sometimes black- or purple-tinged, often large, epiphytic colonies. Stems creeping, to ca. 7 cm long, but often only ca. 3 cm, freely and irregularly to pinnately branched, the branches simple to irregularly bipinnate, mostly ca. 1 cm long, but to ca. 5 cm at times, complanate-foliate; in crosssection with 4-6 rows of small thick-walled cells surrounding somewhat larger thinner-walled cells, central strand none; paraphyllia none; pseudoparaphyllia broadly foliose; axillary hairs with l(-2) short brown basal cells and (2-)3(-4) elongate hyaline distal cells. Branch and stem leaves scarcely differentiated in structure but stem leaves often somewhat smaller, less complánate, and soon eroded leaving stem ± naked, branch leaves strongly complánate, mostly wide-spreading, curved oblong-ligulate, 1.42.5 mm long, asymmetric, broadly rounded to truncate, undulate dry or moist, clasping the branches, cordate to small-auriculate; margins serrulate-crenulate at apex, distantly serrulate below, in-flexed on one side below; costa single, slender, ending ca. 3/4 the leaf length; cells irregularly long-hexagonal, ca. 4-6:1, smooth, firm- to thick-walled, ± porose, becoming shorter in a large band across the leaf apex, these short-rectangular to subquadrate or rarely oblate, becoming more elongate and more conspicuously porose toward the insertion; alar cells not or scarcely differentiated, only somewhat shorter in the auricles. Asexual propagula none. Autoicous and synoicous. Perichaetia conspicuous, ramentose; outer leaves short with spreading apices, inner leaves erect, convolute, oblong-ovate, 1.5-2.8 mm long, ± abruptly acuminate, the apex broad and ± rounded, not undulate; margins serrulate ± throughout, more coarsely so above, plane; costa single and ending somewhat above midleaf, sometimes lacking; cells linear-flexuose, smooth, firm- to thick-walled, porose, becoming laxer and rectangular across the insertion. Ramenta longer than the perichaetial leaves and emerging from them and overtopping the capsules, loriform, to 3 mm long, multiseriate, acuminate to rounded at apex; cells linear-rectangular, thick-walled, not or scarcely porose, shorter in apex if apex rounded. Setae short, smooth, ca. 0.25 mm long; capsules immersed (in ramenta), broad-cylindric, erect and symmetric, ca. 1.5 mm long; exothecial cells short-rectangular, firm-walled, becoming shorter and quadrate in 3-5(-7) rows at the mouth; annulus not differentiated; operculum rostrate, straight, ca. 1 mm long; columella cylindric, blunt at apex, almost as long as the urn; peristome slightly inserted below the mouth, exostome teeth pale, linear-triangular, not bordered or shouldered, finely papillose throughout on both sides, not trabeculate at back; endostome with a low, ± smooth basal membrane, not or scarcely extending above capsule mouth, segments finely papillose throughout, slender, ± keeled, not or narrowly perforate, cilia none. Spores spherical, very finely roughened, appearing almost smooth, 13-20 µm diam. Calyptrae mitrate-campanulate, closely covering all but very base of operculum, naked or more often sparely ramentose, smooth.
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Discussion
1. Neckeropsis undulata (Hedw.) Reichardt, Verh. Zool. Bot. Ges. Wien 18(Abh.): 192. 1868; Neckera undulata Hedw., Sp. Muse. Frond. 201. 1801; Pilotrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P. Beauv., Prodr. Aethéogam. 83. 1805; Daltonia undulata (Hedw.) Arn., Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 5; 295. 1826; Distichia undulata (Hedw.) Brid., Bryol. Univ. 2: 787. 1827. Plate 40, figures 1-8 Fontinalis crispa Sw., Prodr. FI. Ind. Occid. 138. 1788, nom. illeg. Eleutera jamaicensis [J. F. Gmel.J Stuntz, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27: 210. 1900, nom. illeg.; Hypnum jamaicense J. F. Gmel., Syst. Nat. 2(2): 1341. 1791, nom. illeg.; Rhystophyllum jamaicense [J. F. Gmel.] E. Britton, Bryologist 8: 6. 1904, nom. illeg. Discussion. Neckeropsis undulata is readily recognized by its complanate, undulate, truncate leaves and immersed capsules in ramentose perichaetia. Within our flora it might only be confused with the congeneric but smaller N. disticha. However, in that species the leaves are only crispate but not undulate when dry, plane rather than undulate when moist, and not at all auriculate. Elsewhere within the Neotropics there can be confusion with Neckeropsis foveolata (Mitt.) Broth. This species is very similar to N. undulata but differs only in having longer perichaetial leaves, to 4 mm, and no perichaetial ramenta.
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Distribution
Range. Southern Florida, central Mexico through Panama, throughout northern South America, south to Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina, and southeastern Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago; Bahamas (Grand Bahama), Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands (St. John, St. Thomas, Tortola), St. Martin, St. Kitts. Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Barbados, Grenada; growing on tree trunks, less often branches, and rock
United States of America North America| Mexico North America| Central America| Colombia South America| Brazil South America| Ecuador South America| Guyana South America| French Guiana South America| Peru South America| Suriname South America| Venezuela South America| Bolivia South America| Paraguay South America| Argentina South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Bahamas South America| Cuba South America| Jamaica South America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Virgin Islands South America| Saint Martin South America| Saint Kitts and Nevis South America| Montserrat South America| Guadeloupe South America| Dominica South America| Martinique South America| Saint Lucia South America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America| Barbados South America| Grenada South America|