Rhacopilopsis trinitensis (Müll.Hal.) E.Britton & Dixon

  • Authority

    Buck, William R. 2003. Guide to the plants of central french Guiana. Part 3. Mosses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76: 1-167.

  • Family

    Hypnaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Rhacopilopsis trinitensis (Müll.Hal.) E.Britton & Dixon

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants slender to medium-sized, in ± lustrous, soft, mostly pale green, thin mats; stems to 10 cm long, often regularly pinnate, the branches complanate-foliate, less than 1 cm long. Stem and branch leaves somewhat differentiated, ventral, dorsal and lateral stem leaves strongly differentiated, the ventral ones symmetric, oblong-ovate, gradually long-acuminate, 0.65-0.95 x 0.2-0.4 mm, the dorsal ones somewhat asymmetric, ovate, gradually acuminate, concave, 1-1.3 x 0.4-0.6 mm, the lateral ones strongly asymmetric, often cultriform, ovate-oblong, ± abruptly acuminate, concave, 0.85-1.2 x 0.3-0.6 mm; all stem leaves with margins distantly subserrulate throughout, plane; costa short and double; cells long-hexagonal to linear, 30-75 x 4-6 µm, smooth but with thickened cell end walls giving the impression of prorulae, becoming thicker-walled and somewhat porose toward the insertion; alar cells mostly yellow, 2-4 cells enlarged in extreme basal angles, oblong, to 55 |jm long, sometimes absent on one side of lateral leaves, with 5-12 rhomboidal to subquadrate cells directly above the enlarged ones. Branch leaves with dorsal and lateral leaves differentiated, the dorsal ones half as many as the lateral ones, symmetric, erect-spreading, lanceolate, gradually acuminate, 0.8-1.1 x 0.3-0.5 mm, the lateral ones somewhat asymmetric, wide- spreading, sometimes subfalcate, oblong-ovate, gradually or ± abruptly acuminate, somewhat concave, 1.1-1.3 x 0.3-0.6 mm; all branch leaves with margins subentire to serrulate throughout, the lateral leaves more strongly toothed, plane or narrowly recurved above; costa rarely lacking; cells linear to linear-flexuose, 40-100 x 4-6 µm, sometimes becoming shorter in the acumen, becoming thicker-walled and somewhat porose toward the insertion: alar cells yellow, 3-5 cells enlarged in extreme basal angles, oblong, to 55 pm long, rarely absent on one side of lateral leaves, with 4-12 rhomboidal to subquadrate cells directly above the enlarged ones.

  • Distribution

    In non- flooded moist (and montane) forests, common, 200-400(700) m, on old wood and tree bases.

    French Guiana South America|