Eurhynchium taylorae R.S.Williams
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Authority
New York Botanical Garden. Herbarium of Dr. Per Axel Rydberg. Purchased, 1899. Contributions from the New York Botanical Garden.
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Family
Brachytheciaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Evidently dioicous; no flowers found. In loose tufts with stout, creeping stems (in places denuded of leaves and with dense tufts of radicles) up to 20 cm. long and 0.44 mm. in diameter; cross sections show a well-defined central strand of numerous small cells and outer wall of about three rows of small thick-walled cells; branches rather short (1 to 2 cm.), irregular and often distant; stem and larger branch leaves loosely spreading, obtusely pointed, the branch leaves often truncate or praemorse at tip, decurrent, serrulate all round to a little above the base, reflexed on margin above and near base and costate about 7/8 up, the costa ending in spine and more or less papillose below; stem leaves measure up to 2.5 x 1.5 mm., middle branch leaves 1.5 mm. and upper branch leaves 0.875 mm. long, the lowest branch leaves very small, roundish and often ecostate; inner perichaetial leaves ecostate or very faintly costate, abruptly narrowed to a slender flexuous serrulate point and irregularly toothed and lacerate at base of point; leaf-cells mostly linear-vermicular, median .004 x .06 to .08 mm., apical very short and irregular, alar forming an elongated not well-defined group of pale cells about .008 mm. wide and two to four times longer, the basal cells somewhat thickened and pitted, especially toward costa; capsule mostly horizontal, contracted more or less under the mouth when dry, without lid 2.5 by 1.5 mm., lid with obliquely rostrate beak 2 mm. long, stout, smooth seta up to 15 mm. high, annulus of two or three rows of cells; peristome teeth very slender-pointed, striate below, papillose above, hyaline bordered, the segments more or less split with mostly two somewhat appendiculate cilia between; stomata roundish, .025 mm. in diameter; spores nearly smooth, up to .014 mm.
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Discussion
In size this plant most nearly approaches E. Orcganiun of any of our North American species but is less regularly pinnate with smooth seta, etc. It much more closely resembles E. striatuin of Europe, but is a more creeping plant with less divided stems and leaves never acutely pointed as in that, which also lacks the spine at apex of costa.
Collected by J. B. Leiberg on decaying logs in streams, April, 1889, Traille River Basin, Idaho (172). Named for the artist who has made the excellent drawing which accompanies this description, Miss Alexandrina Taylor.