Eurhynchium pulchellum (Hedw.) Jenn.
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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
Brachytheciaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants relatively small to medium-sized, in ± lustrous, mostly soft, green, yellowish, or brownish mats. Stems creeping, irregularly to pinnately branched, the branches often ascending, ± terete, or rarely ± complanate; in cross-section with 1-3 rows of small thick-walled cells surrounding larger thin- to firm-walled cells, central strand of small thin-walled nodose cells; pseudoparaphyllia broadly foliose; axillary hairs with a single short brown basal cell and 1-2 relatively short to elongate hyaline distal cells. Stem and branch leaves differentiated, stem leaves erect to erect-spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 0.85-1.2 mm long, gradually acuminate, ± concave, striate, rounded to the insertion; margins sometimes indistinctly bordered by thicker-walled cells, serrate to serrulate throughout, plane to suberect; costa single, relatively slender, not tapering distally, ending 1/2-3/4 the leaf length, not projecting at apex or only as a prickle; cells linear, subflexuose, smooth, firm-walled, not porose, becoming porose toward the insertion; alar cells gradually differentiated, in small groups at edges of insertion, not reaching the costa, subquadrate to short-rectangular. Branch leaves erect- to wide-spreading, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or occasionally ovate-lanceolate, 0.55-0.8 mm long, gradually to ± abruptly acute or short-acuminate, concave, substriate, rounded to the insertion; margins serrate to serrulate throughout, much more strongly so above, plane or rarely erect; costa single, bold, not tapering distally, ending >3/4 the leaf length, projecting apically as a prominent spine; cells linear, subflexuose, smooth, thin- to firm-walled, not porose, becoming long-hexagonal to rhombic apically; alar cells few, gradually differentiated, at edges of insertion, short-rectangular. Asexual propagula none. Phyllodioicous. Perichaetia inconspicuous; leaves numerous/perichaetium, spreading from an appressed base, oblong-lanceolate, to 2.6 mm long, abruptly long-acuminate, concave, striate; margins serrulate above, mostly entire below, plane above, erect to incurved below; costa single, indistinct, ending below base of acumen, not projecting at apex; cells long-hexagonal to oblong-linear, smooth, thin-to firm-walled, not porose, becoming shorter and broader toward the insertion; alar cells not differentiated. Setae elongate, smooth, reddish, 1-2 cm long, mostly straight, not or scarcely twisted; capsules inclined to horizontal, arcuate, asymmetric, short-cylindric, 1.5-2 mm long; exothecial cells short-rectangular, firm-walled, stomata round-pored; annulus of 2-3 rows of short-rectangular thick-walled cells, ca. the same size as those of the exothecium; operculum obliquely long-rostrate; exostome teeth reddish brown, triangular, shouldered, bordered, on the front surface cross-striolate below, becoming striolate-papillose at midtooth, coarsely papillose above, trabeculate at back; endostome finely papillose, with a high basal membrane, segments keeled, perforate, sometimes broadly so, ca. as long as the teeth, cilia mostly in groups of 2-3, nodose, shorter than the segments. Spores spherical, finely papillose, 11-14 µm diam. Calyptrae cucullate, naked, smooth.
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Discussion
2. Eurhynchium pulchellum (Hedw.) Jenn., Man. Mosses W. Pennsylvania 350. 1913; Hypnum pulchellum Hedw., Sp. Musc. Frond. 265. 1801; Rhynchostegium pulchellum (Hedw.) H. Rob., Bryologist 70: 38. 1967. Plate 96, figures 11-18 Discussion. Eurhynchium pulchellum is recognized by plants with differentiated branch and stem leaves, branch leaves often crowded, the costa, especially in the branch leaves, wide, not tapering distally, and projecting as a spine, and the alar region poorly differentiated. Eurhynchium pulchellum differs from the other Antillean member of the genus, E. clinocarpum by its drier habitat, narrower leaves, phyllodioicous sexuality, and smooth setae.
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Distribution
Range. Newfoundland to Alaska, south to Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and California, Mexico to northern South America, Europe, northern
Canada North America| United States of America North America| Mexico North America| Brazil South America| Peru South America| Ecuador South America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Europe| Algeria Africa| Egypt Africa| Libya Africa| Morocco Africa| Tunisia Africa| Asia| Cuba South America| Jamaica South America| Dominican Republic South America|