Vesicularia vesicularis var. rutilans (Brid.) W.R.Buck

  • Authority

    Buck, William R. 1998. Pleurocarpous mosses of the West Indies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 82: 1-400.

  • Family

    Hypnaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Vesicularia vesicularis var. rutilans (Brid.) W.R.Buck

  • Description

    Variety Description - Plants pale-green to golden. Lateral and dorsal leaves somewhat contorted when dry, sometimes obscurely falcate, lanceolate-ovate to ovate, gradually short-acuminate; margins mostly bordered by a single row of narrow cells, serrulate above; cells hexagonal to slightly long-hexagonal, 1-3.5:1; ventral leaves smaller, lanceolate, gradually acuminate; cells long-hexagonal, 4-8:1.

  • Discussion

    1b. Vesicularia vesicularis var. rutilans (Brid.) W. R. Buck, Brittonia 36: 181. 1984; Leskea rutilans Brid., Bryol. Univ. 2: 332. 1827 [Oct-Nov]; Acosta rutilans (Brid.) Müll. Hal., Linnaea 21: 194. 1848; Hypnum rutilans (Brid.) Müll. Hal., Syn. Muse. Frond. 2: 234. 1851; Ectropothecium rutilans (Brid.) Mitt., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 519. 1869; Vesicularia rutilans (Brid.) Broth, ex Paris, Coll. Nom. Broth. 36. 1909. Plate 123, figures 1-8 Ectropothecium amphibolum Spruce, Cat. Musc. 17. 1867, nom. nud., Spruce ex Mitt., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 519. 1869; Vesicularia amphibola (Mitt.) Broth. in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1(3): 1094. 1908; Vesicularia vesicularis var. amphibola (Mitt.) R. S. Williams in P. W. Richards, Bull. Misc. Inform. 1934: 337. 1934. Ectropothecium eurydictyon Besch., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. VI, 3: 260. 1876; Vesicularia eurydictyon (Besch.) Broth, in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1(3): 1094. 1908. Ectropothecium leucocladium Schimp. ex Besch., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. VI, 3: 260. 1876; Vesicularia leucocladia (Besch.) Broth, in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1(3): 1094. 1908. Discussion. The var. rutilans is, along with the var. portoricensis, one of the most common expressions of Vesicularia vesicularis in the West Indies. It is characterized by lateral and dorsal leaves with relatively short, broad cells internally and usually a single, marginal row of narrower cells. The ventral leaves are narrower than the lateral ones and more acuminate; the areolation is very different. The cells of the ventral leaves are consistently long-hexagonal, contrasting strikingly with those of the other rows of leaves. In moist habitats the var. rutilans intergrades with the var. vesicularis, and in drier habitats with the var. portoricensis. The name rutilans must be used for this variety because it was created automatically in 1827 (i.e., an autonym, see ICBN Art. 11.6) with the description of the following variety (see Buck, 1984).

  • Distribution

    Range. Southern Florida, Mexico, Central America, northern South America; Bahamas (Eleuthera, New Providence), Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia; growing on a wide range of substrates, in humid areas, probably desiccated occasionally, mostly from near sea level to ca. 1000 m.

    Mexico North America| Brazil South America| Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| French Guiana South America| Guyana South America| Peru South America| Suriname South America| Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Colombia South America| Bahamas South America| Cuba South America| Jamaica South America| United States of America North America| Haiti South America| Dominican Republic South America| Puerto Rico South America| Guadeloupe South America| Dominica South America| Martinique South America| Saint Lucia South America|