Brachythecium conostomum (Taylor) A.Jaeger

  • Authority

    Sharp, Aaron J., et al. 1994. The Moss Flora of Mexico. Part Two: Orthotrichales to Polytrichales. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 69 (2)

  • Family

    Brachytheciaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Brachythecium conostomum (Taylor) A.Jaeger

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants medium-sized to ± robust, in loose or dense mats. Stems prostrate or ascending, ± regularly pinnate; branches short, slender. Leaves erect or imbricate, with points flexuose and ± squarrose when dry, spreading and narrowly straight-tipped when moist. Stem leaves concave, not phcate or only lightly so near the base, 1.8-2.5 x 0.6-1.1 mm, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate from a narrow base, gradually or abmptly narrowed to a long, slender acumen, slightly decurrent; margins slightly recurved at base, entire to sermlate above; costa broad at base but becoming slender above, vanishing at or above the leaf middle, usually with several short branches, occasionally forked; upper median cells laxly elongate-hexagonal to fusiform, rarely linear, 45-100 x 8-15 µm; basal cells broader, with ± slightly pitted walls, 40-90 x 11-20 µm; alar cells not sharply delimited, laxly quadrate to rectangular, 20-40 x 12-25 µm. Branch leaves 1.3-2.2 x 0.3-0.7 mm, ovate, long-acuminate; margins plane, sermlate above. Dioicous. Perichaetial leaves tapered to a filiform acumen from a sheathing base, up to 2.7 mm long. Setae 11-18 mm long, red, smooth; capsules erect to inclined, slightly curved, cylindric, 0.6-2.5 x 0.3-0.7 mm; annulus none; operculum conic or high-conic, apiculate, up to 1 mm long; cilia of endostome 1-2, nodose. Spores 11-20 µm, finely papillose.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 693

    B. conostomum (Tayl.) Jaeg., Ber. Thatigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 1876-77: 326. 1878.

    Hynum conostomum Tayl., London J. Bot. 7: 194. 1848.

    H. cladoneuron C. Müll., Linnaea 38: 652. 1874.

    Camptothecium cladoneuron (C. Müll.) Jaeg., Ber. Thatigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 1876-77: 316.1878.

    Brachythecium cladoneuron (C. Müll.) Par., Index Bryol. 132. 1894.

    B. laxireticuhtum Card., Rev. Bryol. 37: 67. 1910.

  • Distribution

    On moist or wet rock, soil, and tree trunks, 2000-3200 m alt.; Chiapas, Distrito Federal, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Puebla.—Mexico; Central and South America.

    South America| Central America| Mexico North America|