Didymodon asperifolius

(Mitten) H. A. Crum

Bryologist 67: 163. 1964,.

Basionym: Barbula asperifolia Mitten J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot., suppl. 1: 34. 1859
Synonyms: Didymodon rufus Lorentz
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 560. Mentioned on page 542, 545, 549, 557, 561, 568.

Plants orange-green or redbrown, occasionally blackish. Stems to 3 cm, central strand weak or absent. Stem-leaves appressed-incurved when dry, usually strongly recurved and keeled when moist, monomorphic, triangular to lanceolate, adaxially grooved along costa, 1.2–2.5 mm, base ovate, margins strongly and broadly recurved in proximal 1/2 or up to near apex, entire, apex narrowly to broadly acute, not fragile, commonly ending in a conical cell; costa percurrent or ending 1–4 cells before the apex, tapering, widened pad of cells absent, adaxial costal cells quadrate to shortrectangular, 4–6 cells wide at mid leaf, guide cells in 1 layer; basal laminal cells differentiated medially or across leaf, rectangular, walls usually thickened; distal laminal cells 13–15 µm wide, 1: 1, papillae usually absent, rarely simple, weak and domelike, 1 per lumen, lumens rounded or angular, walls thickened, often irregular or very weakly trigonous, weakly to strongly convex on both sides, 1-stratose. Specialized asexual reproduction specialized structures absent. Seta 0.4–0.6 cm. Capsule ca. 1 mm; peristome teeth 16, short-lanceolate to linear, irregularly cleft or perforate to near base, straight, to 50–300 µm. Spores 13–15 µm. Distal laminal KOH reaction red.


Phenology: Capsule maturity undetermined.
Habitat: Calcareous or acid rock, moist calcareous soil, peatland, streamside, alpine
Elevation: moderate to high elevations (500-3700 m)

Distribution

V27 806-distribution-map.gif

Greenland, Alta., B.C., Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.), N.W.T., Nunavut, Yukon, Alaska, Colo., Europe, Asia

Discussion

Didymodon asperifolius can sometimes be immediately recognized by a red-yellow translucency in leaves of dry plants, like oiled paper. The adaxial surface of the costa may have either quadrate or short-rectangular cells. The distal laminal cells are also rather large for the genus. The KOH reaction, as well as the natural color of the lamina are sometimes light orange, but usually quite red. Some plants may appear green but the laminal cell walls are red under high magnification.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"um" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."um" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Didymodon asperifolius"
quadrate +  and elongate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
channeled +, concave +  and long-triangular +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
of 1-2 rows +  and differentiated +
long-excurrent +  and short-excurrent +
not fragile +
Richard H. Zander +
(Mitten) H. A. Crum +
weak +  and strong +
ovate +  and crescent--shaped +
papillose +  and smooth +
across leaf +  and differentiated +
usually slightly wider +
differentiated +
Barbula asperifolia +
obovoid +
cucullate +
stegocarpous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
monoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
flat to bulging +
thin;thick +
1 +  and 10 +
conical +
tomentose +  and bare +
ending 1-4 cells +  and percurrent +
tapering +
quadrate +  and rectangular +
occasionally weakly dentate or crenulate +  and entire +
subquadrate;hexagonal or rounded-angular occasionally shortly rectangular or rhomboid +
Greenland +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.) +, N.W.T. +, Nunavut +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Colo. +, Europe +  and Asia +
moderate to high elevations (500-3700 m) +
differentiated +
multicellular +
occasional +
Calcareous or acid rock, moist calcareous soil, peatland, streamside, alpine +
yellow +  and orange-red or red +
grooved +  and monomorphic +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
recurved +  and appressed-incurved +
triangular;lanceolate +
spreading +  and strongly reflexed +
ovate +, keeled +  and curled +
reduced +
specialized +
dioicous +  and sexual +
angular +  and rounded +
short-conic;long-conic +
photosynthetic +
widened +
lateral +  and terminal +
lateral +  and terminal +
perforate +  and cleft +
red +, orange +  and yellow +
short-lanceolate +  and linear +
Capsule maturity undetermined. +
1 (?) +  and 2 (?) +
straight +
yellowish;reddish-brown +
elongate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
2 +  and 1 +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
rounded-triangular +  and rounded-pentagonal +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
absent +  and asexual +
Didymodon rufus +
Didymodon asperifolius +
Didymodon +
species +
elliptic;cylindric +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
rudimentary +
very weakly trigonous to weakly strongly convex +  and irregular +
red +  and yellow +
very weakly trigonous +  and weakly strongly convex +
stemless +  and perigoniate +
blackish;redbrown;orange-green +