Groutiella mucronifolia (Hook. & Grev.) H.A.Crum & Steere
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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
Orthotrichaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants small to medium-sized, branches dull green from a reddish tomentose creeping stem, stems to 10 cm long, branches 3-6 mm long. Leaves spirally twisted around branches when dry, oblong- lanceolate, obtuse to broadly acute, 1.2-1.8 x 0.3-0.45 mm; margins entire, slightly undulate, plane; costa excurrent, mucro more than 40 pm long; cells rounded-hexagonal, 4-8 pm in diameter, smooth, somewhat longer below; inner basal cells somewhat oblate, ca. 5-6 x 6-8 µm, smooth, marginal basal cells elongate in 3-6 rows, extending ca. 1/4 the leaf length. Setae 3-5 mm long; capsules ca. 1.5 mm long, cupulate, anisosporous; peristome rudimentary, not or scarcely exceeding capsule mouth. In non-flooded moist forests, common, 200-500 m, on tree trunks and branches, especially in the canopy. Groutiella mucronifolia has been confused with G. apiculata (Hooker) H. A. Crum & Steere, and the two are almost identical gametophytically. Sporophytically, though, G. apiculata has setae 5-13 mm long, and oblong-cylindric (ca. 3-4:1), isosporous capsules with a peristome to 100 pm above the capsule mouth, whereas G. mucronifolia has setae 3-5 mm long, and cupulate (ca. 1-1.5:1), anisosporous capsules with a rudimentary peristome not or scarcely exceeding the capsule mouth.