Stereophyllum radiculosum (Hook.) Mitt.
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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
Stereophyllaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants medium-sized, in dull, pale- to yellow-green, sometimes brown-tinged, thin to dense, flat mats. Stems creeping, to 3 cm long, simple or sparingly and irregularly branched, subterete- or complanate-foliate; in cross-section with 2-3 rows of small firm-walled cells surrounding large thin-walled cells, central strand absent; pseudoparaphyllia filamentous, short, ca. 2-5 cells long; axillary hairs with a single short brown basal cell and 3-4 rectangular hyaline distal cells. Stem and branch leaves similar, crowded, ± stiff, mostly erect, often becoming spreading with age, complanate, oblong-ovate to nearly lingulate, 1-2.5 mm long, abruptly acute to obtuse, sometimes apiculate, symmetric, flat or concave; margins entire or serrulate above, ± entire below, plane; costa single, stout, bulging on dorsal leaf surface, ending 2/3-3/4 or more the leaf length; cells rhomboidal, ca. 1.5-2(-4):l, 14-38 X 7-9 µm, typically unipapillose on both surfaces, sometimes smooth, ± firm-walled, not porose; alar cells quadrate, rectangular or oblate, 9-19 X 9-14 µm, collenchymatous, extending across adaxial surface of the costa, often many on one side of costa and few on other, sometimes extending up one or both margins to 1/3-1/2 the leaf length. Asexual propagula none. Autoicous. Perichaetia at bases of stems; leaves erect, oblong-ovate, to ca. 2 mm long, abruptly acuminate; margins sparsely but coarsely toothed to incised above, plane; costa single, extending to base of acumen; cells long-hexagonal, ca. 6-8:1, smooth, firm- to thick-walled, not or obscurely porose, becoming shorter and broader toward the insertion (and extending across base of costa) but not restricted to distinct alar regions. Setae elongate, smooth, orange to reddish brown, 0.6-1.2 cm long, straight to somewhat flexuose; capsules cernuous or rarely erect, straight to arcuate, ovoid to ellipsoid, 0.7-1.8 mm long, not plicate, contracted below the mouth when dry; exothecial cells short-rectangular, ± thin-walled, becoming small, subquadrate to ± oblate at the mouth; annulus of 2-3 rows of subquadrate, firm-walled cells, tardily deciduous; operculum bluntly short-rostrate, sometimes oblique, 0.5-0.7 mm long; exos-tome teeth narrowly triangular, shouldered, bordered, on the front surface cross-striolate below, coarsely papillose above, trabeculate and finely papillose at back; endostome with a high, smooth basal membrane, segments coarsely papillose above, ± smooth below, keeled, perforate, almost as long as the teeth, cilia in groups of 13, shorter than the segments, ± smooth. Spores spherical to ovoid, papillose, 12-24 µm diam. Calyptrae cucullate, naked, smooth.
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Discussion
1. Stereophyllum radiculosum (Hook.) Mitt., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 542. 1869; Hookeria radiculosa Hook., Musci Exot. 1: 51. 1818; Pterygophyllum radiculosum (Hook.) Brid., Bryol. Univ. 2: 346. 1827; Hypnum radiculosum (Hook.) Müll. Hal., Syn. Muse. Frond. 2: 231. 1851. Plate 109, figures 1-8 Omalia wrightii Sull. in A. Gray, Manual, ed. 2, 665. 1856; Hypnum wrightii (Sull.) Sulk, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 5: 287. 1861; Stereophyllum wrightii (Sull.) Renauld & Cardot, Musci Amer. Sept. Exs. 57. 1892. Stereophyllum cubense Mitt., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 544. 1869; Stereophyllum wrightii var. cubense (Mitt.) Thér., Mem. Soc. Cub. Hist. Nat. “Felipe Poey” 15: 217. 1941. Discussion. Stereophyllum radiculosum is made readily recognizable by oblong leaves with short-acute to rounded apices. The laminal cells are short-rhomboidal and typically unipapillose. The alar cells are very numerous, sometimes extending up one margin as far as midleaf. The plants typically occur in areas that receive frequent moisture but often are very dry in times between precipitation.
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Distribution
Range. Florida and Texas, Mexico through Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern Argentina, Paraguay, southern Brazil, Guyana, Africa, India, Australia (Queensland); Bahamas (Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, Lignum Vitae Cay, New Providence), Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico; growing mostly on bases of trees, logs, or sometimes limestone, in mesic habitats to somewhat exposed sites, from sea level to 1500 m.
United States of America North America| Mexico North America| Central America| Venezuela South America| Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Argentina South America| Paraguay South America| Brazil South America| Guyana South America| Africa| India Asia| Australia Oceania| Bahamas South America| Cuba South America| Jamaica South America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America|