Acroporium pungens (Hedw.) Broth.

  • 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

    Sematophyllaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Acroporium pungens (Hedw.) Broth.

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants rather robust, shiny, yellow-green to golden-yellow. Stems red, freely branched; branches erect-ascending. Leaves wide-spreading to squarrose wet or dry, those at the branch tips crowded and appressed, concave, tubulose and often twisted when dry, 2-3 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, slenderly acuminate; margins incurved or inrolled above, usually abmptly sermlate at the apex; upper cells linear-flexuose, smooth, thick-walled and porose, those at the base conspicuously porose, 3-6 cells at the alar regions very large and inflated, hyaline, orange-yellow, or reddish. Synoicous. Inflorescences often on branches. Perichaetial leaves short (1-1.5 mm long), erect, ovate-acuminate, sermlate above. Seta 7-15 mm long, roughened above; capsules suberect to strongly inclined, 0.6-1.2 mm long, contracted below the mouth when dry; operculum ca. 1 mm long, often longer than the urn; exostome teeth broadly furrowed; endostome segments papillose, perforate and cilia single, often mdimentary. Spores 18-26 µm, smooth or finely papillose.

  • Discussion

    Fig. 738a-c

    A. pungens (Hedw.) Broth, in E. & P., Nat. Pfl. ed. 2, 11: 436. 1925.

    Hypnum pungens Hedw., Sp. Muse. 237. 1801.

    Sematophyllum pungens (Hedw.) Mitt., J. Linn. Soc , Bot. 12: 477. 1869.

    Hypnum subpungens C. Müll., Linnaea 38: 655. 1874.

    Sematophyllum subpungens (C. Müll.) Jaeg., Ber. Thatigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 1876-77: 387. 1878.

    Rhaphidostegiumpungens (Hedw.) Besch., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. VI, 10: 308. 1880.

    Schraderobryum subpungens (C. Müll.) Fleisch., Musci Fl. Buitenz. 4: 1177. 1923.

    ]

    The plants are robust, with deeply concave-tubulose leaves that are usually denticulate at the tip. The alar cells are very large and the other basal cells strongly porose.

    The synonymy of the species was discussed by Crum (1986).

  • Distribution

    On bark of trees, shrubs, and vines and also on logs and rocks; Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz.—Mexico to northern South America; West Indies.

    West Indies| Mexico North America| Central America| Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| West Indies| Brazil South America|