Platygyriella pringlei (Cardot) W.R.Buck
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Authority
Sharp, Aaron J., et al. 1994. The Moss Flora of Mexico. Part Two: Orthotrichales to Polytrichales. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 69 (2)
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Family
Hypnaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants moderately robust in mostly rather bronze, shiny, dense mats. Stems elongate, irregularly branched; branches prostrate, slightly curved, terete; flagellate branches rare. Leaves imbricate, concave, ovate, abmptly acuminate, 0.9-1.2 mm long (those of flagellate branches markedly shorter); margins erect, entire to minutely sermlate; costa short and double; cells linear, not shorter at the apex; alar cells quadrate to short-rectangular, rarely reaching the costa; the decurrencies of mostly 3-6 somewhat enlarged cells in 1-2 rows. Dioicous. Setae ca. 2 cm long; capsules 3-4 mm long; operculum short-rostrate; cells at mouth of the u m rarely tardily deciduous (not forming a tme annulus); exostome teeth light-yellow, cross-striolate below, smooth to faintly papillose at the extreme apex; endostome with a moderately high basal membrane and narrow, ± keeled, smooth to lightly papillose segments, cilia none. Spores 14—19 µm.
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Discussion
Fig. 758
P. pringlei (Card.) Buck, Brittonia 36: 87. 1984.
Erythrodontium pringlei Card., Rev. Bryol. 37:11. 1910.
E. densum var. brevifolium Card., Rev. Bryol. 37: 12. 1910.
E. imbricatifoliumV/illiams ex Card., Rev. Bryol. 37: 12.1910.
Platygyriella imbricatifolia (Williams ex Card.) Ther., Smithsonian Misc. Collect. 78(2): 27. 1926.
Bryosedgwickia pringlei (Card.) Biz. & P.-Varde, Rev. Bryol. Lichenol. 21: 10. 1952.
The leafy plants have a beautiful bronze coloration. There is little possibility of confusing P. pringlei with P. densa because of its mpestral habitat, greater stature, imbricate and abmptly tapered leaves, and larger decurrencies with less markedly differentiated cells. Confusion is more likely with Erythrodontium longisetum. However, in Platygyriella pringlei the leaves are ovate rather than oblong, the decurrencies are quite narrow, the inflorescences are dioicous, and the setae and exostome teeth are red rather than yellow.
Erythrodontium densum var. brevifolia, characterized only by flagellate-tapered branches, is a rare and unimportant expression of the species.
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Distribution
Mostly on rocks above 2000 m altitude, rarely on bases of trees (and then depauperate); Chihuahua, Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Sinaloa.—Mexico; Guatemala.
Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America|