Rosulabryum billardierei (Schwägr.) J.R.Spence
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Authority
Buck, William R. 2003. Guide to the plants of central french Guiana. Part 3. Mosses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76: 1-167.
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Family
Bryaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants medium-sized to large, 1.5-3.5 cm tall, somewhat shiny, mostly dark green, in rather dense tufts; stems radiculose below. Leaves ± twisted around the stem when dry, wide-spreading when moist, congested toward stem apices, obovate-spatulate, gradually obtuse to short-acuminate, 2-4(6) x 0.8-1.2(2.5) mm; margins ser¬rate above, distinctly bordered, usually narrowly recurved below; costa short- to rather long-excurrent; cells hexagonal, ca. 3-4:1, 50-70(80) x 15-25 µm, porose, elongate and thick-walled in 2-5 rows toward the margins, revolute below; basal cells gradually rectangular. Asexual propagula axillary, uniseriate, papillose; rhizoidal tubers not seen. Pseudautoicous (with dwarf males). Sporophytes not seen locally; setae 2-3 cm long; capsules (2.5)3.5-4.5 mm long, horizontal; peristome well developed. On rock along Crique Arata'i, rare, ca. 200 m; on thin-soil over rocks just above waterline in streams.
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Discussion
In Florschutz (1964) this species was referred to as B. trun- corum (Brid.) Brid. However, that is an Old World species restricted to Madagascar and Reunion, differing by a longer leaf acumen and a broader limbidium (Ochi 1971). The epithet was originally spelled billarderi, but following recent orthography recommendations, it has been corrected.