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Pottiaceae

Pottiaceae
Pottiaceae image
Tony Frates
  • FNA
  • Resources
Richard H. Zander in Flora of North America (vol. 27)
Plants usually turf-forming or loosely cespitose, green distally and brown proximally. Stems 0.2-4(-10) cm, irregularly branching, mostly rounded-pentagonal but occasionally rounded-triangular in section, hyalodermis usually absent, sclerodermis sometimes present, central strand usually present, radiculose, occasionally bare or tomentose, axillary hairs several cells in length, sometimes the proximal 1-3 cells brownish. Stem leaves usually appressed and often contorted when dry, spreading when wet, ovoid to lanceolate or lingulate, often channeled or keeled, rarely concave, mostly ca. 1.5-3.5 mm; base usually ovate to oblong, occasionally sheathing the stem; margins usually recurved proximally, occasionally plane, incurved, or involute, entire or sometimes dentate distally, occasionally bordered by thick-walled or elongate cells or cells in one or more layers; apex rounded-obtuse to more commonly narrowly acute; costa ending a few cells before the apex to short-excurrent or long-excurrent as an awn, sometimes with photosynthetic outgrowths adaxially, adaxial cells quadrate or elongate in usually 2-4 rows, costa in medial transverse section usually with a differentiated epidermis adaxially or on both sides, 1 or 2 stereid bands, the abaxial stereid band usually rounded or reniform, guide cells in 1(-3) layers, hydroid strand occasionally present (sometimes multiple); basal laminal cells usually differentiated, smooth or lightly papillose, rectangular, generally filling the base medially, sometimes rising marginally in a V shape, occasionally bulging, usually slightly wider than the distal laminal cells; distal laminal cells usually subquadrate, occasionally hexagonal or rarely short-rectangular or rhomboid, mostly small, ca. 9-16 mm wide, 1:1, papillae usually present over the distal laminal cells, solid or occasionally hollow, usually 2-fid but occasionally simple, sometimes flattened or compound, cell walls mostly evenly thickened, superficially flat to bulging, sometimes bulging only adaxially, usually in one layer. Specialized asexual reproduction common, by multicellular (rarely 1-cellular) gemmae borne on stalks in the leaf axils or more seldom on leaves, or by obovoid brood bodies borne on rhizoids in the soil, rarely by reduced or fragile leaves or fragile stems. Sexual condition dioicous or monoicous, occasionally rhizautoicous; perigonia and perichaetia terminal or occasionally lateral on short branchlets. Per

This is the largest family of the mosses in number of genera. Its taxonomy is commonly considered difficult because of the obscure areolation, small size of the plants, and apparent phenotypic variation. A recent generic-level revision by R. H. Zander (1993) pulled together the scattered literature and de-emphasized sporophytic characters, allowing easier identification of sterile plants. The phylogenetic scheme adopted here approximates that of Zander (1993) as modified by Zander (2006) except that Gymnostomiella and Luisierella are moved from the Barbuloideae to the Pottioideae, in part for convenience in identification. The large number of anatomical characters available permits better identification of previously poorly understood taxa. The color tests refer to the reaction of the cell walls of the distal laminal areolation to 2% potassium hydroxide solution, which may require examination under the compound microscope for determination. Sectioning of leaf and stem is necessary and is described by Zander (1993). A twisted peristome, strongly differentiated costal anatomy, and the complexly papillose distal laminal cells are characteristic of this mostly acrocarpous family, commonly found in harsh environments.

<< 1 - 50 taxa >>
Acaulon apiculatum
Media
not available
Acaulon megalosporum
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not available
Acaulon muticum
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not available
Acaulon rubrum
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not available
Acaulon rufescens
Media
not available
Acaulon runyoni
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not available
Acaulon schimperianum
Media
not available
Acaulon triquetrum
Media resource of Acaulon triquetrum
Acaulon uleanum
Media
not available
Aloina aloides
Media
not available
Aloina ambigua
Media
not available
Aloina bifrons
Media
not available
Aloina brevirostris
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not available
Aloina hamulus
Media resource of Aloina hamulus
Aloina pilifera
Media
not available
Aloina rigida
Media resource of Aloina rigida
Aloinella catenula
Media resource of Aloinella catenula
Anoectangium aestivum
Media resource of Anoectangium aestivum
Anoectangium arizonicum
Media
not available
Anoectangium compactum
Media resource of Anoectangium compactum
Anoectangium euchloron
Media resource of Anoectangium euchloron
Anoectangium handelii
Media
not available
Anoectangium incurvans
Media
not available
Anoectangium obtusifolium
Media
not available
Anoectangium peckii
Media
not available
Anoectangium sendtnerianum
Media
not available
Anoectangium stracheyanum
Media
not available
Anoectangium tenuinerve
Media
not available
Aschisma kansanum
Media
not available
Astomum crispum
Media resource of Astomum crispum
Astomum ludovicianum
Media resource of Astomum ludovicianum
Astomum muehlenbergianum
Media resource of Astomum muehlenbergianum
Astomum nitidulum
Media
not available
Astomum occidentale
Media
not available
Astomum phascoides
Media
not available
Astomum sullivantii
Media
not available
Barbula acuta
Media resource of Barbula acuta
Barbula agraria
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not available
Barbula amplexifolia
Media
not available
Barbula andreaeoides
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not available
Barbula arcuata
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not available
Barbula asperifolia
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not available
Barbula aurea
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not available
Barbula australasiae
Media resource of Barbula australasiae
Barbula bescherellei
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not available
Barbula bolleana
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not available
Barbula brachyphyllus
Media
not available
Barbula cancellata
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not available
Barbula chloronotos
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not available
Barbula columbiana
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not available
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This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MG-70-19-0057-19].

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