Zygodon ehrenbergii Müll.Hal.
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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
Orthotrichaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants up to 2 cm high, yellow- to light-green above, darker-green and densely tomentose below, forming loose mats. Stems simple to irregularly branched. Brood bodies clavate-rounded to oblong-ellipsoidal, with both transverse and longitudinal walls. Leaves irregularly twisted (the tips often bent more than 90°) and ± undulate when dry, erect-spreading and straight to wide-spreading and ± recurved when moist, 1-2.7 mm long, keeled into the apex when dry, slightly so when moist, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, slenderly acute, often ending in a long, hyaline, apical cell, not or slightly decurrent; margins entire or with a few irregular teeth above, ± reflexed below; costa ending just below the apex, the back surface covered with papillose, quadrate cells in the upper 1/4-1/3 ofthe leaf, shiny and conspicuous below; upper cells (6—)8—12 µm wide, rounded-quadrate to isodiametric, moderately thick-walled, with (1—)2—6 rather large, round papillae per cell; basal cells elongate-rectangular near the costa, grading to rectangular or quadrate at the margins, many marginal cells longer than broad, smooth, hyaline. Dioicous. Setae 3-7 mm long; capsules 1.3-2 mm long, ovoid-cylindric, becoming cylindric when old and dry, 8-ribbed the entire length; operculum rostrate; exothecial cells differentiated into bands; stomata present at base of the urn; peristome none or rudimentary. Spores not seen. Calyptrae cucullate, smooth, naked.
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Discussion
Fig. 453h-n
Z. ehrenbergiiC. Mull., Linnaea 18: 672. 1845.
Z. oligodontusCard., Rev. Bryol. 36: 107. 1909.
The very few sporophytes seen appear to be similar to those of Z. viridissimus. These species can, at times, be named only after careful comparison of several specimens. Gametophytically, Z ehrenbergii resembles Z. viridissimus but is more robust. It has leaves irregularly twisted and undulate, with many ofthe tips curved more than 90°. Sharp keels make the costa very conspicuous above. The upper margins are usually entire; however, usually a few leaves in each collection have one or two teeth just below the apex. (Perhaps this last feature is the most useful in distinguishing this species from Z viridissimus as well as Z. liebmannii.) Zygodon viridissimus is smaller and more rigid, with leaves loosely erect-imbricate and only slightly twisted (the tips curved less than 90°); leaves less sharply keeled above and the costa therefore less conspicuous; and margins entire.
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Distribution
On trunks of trees, particularly Quercus, rarely on rock, at 2000-3600 m elev.; Chiapas, Coahuila, Distrito Federal, Durango, Hidalgo, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Veracruz.—Mexico; Guatemala.
Guatemala Central America| Mexico North America|