Didymodon eckeliae

R. H. Zander

Madroño 48: 298, fig. 1. 2002,.

Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 552. Mentioned on page 540, 542.

Plants dark green to tan. Stems to 1.5 cm, central strand present. Stem-leaves appressed and incurved when dry, patent to spreading-recurved and not keeled when moist, monomorphic, longlanceolate, grooved adaxially along the costa, especially near leaf apex, 2–3 mm, base scarcely differentiated or short-oblong, margins narrowly recurved in proximal 1/3–1/2 of leaf, often broadly crenate (ca. 8–10 cells across), sinuose or weakly notched in distal 2/3–3/4 of leaf, apex narrowly acute or narrowly blunt and long-acuminate, somewhat fragile; costa percurrent or short-excurrent, not strongly spurred, not much widened or tapering, lacking an adaxial pad of cells, adaxial costal cells quadrate, ca. 4 cells wide at mid leaf, guide cells in 2 layers; basal laminal cells very weakly differentiated medially, walls thin to weakly thickened, quadrate to shortrectangular, not perforated; distal laminal cells 7–9 µm wide, 1: 1, nearly smooth or papillae simple or 2-fid, 2–3 per lumen, lumens roundedquadrate, walls thin or evenly thickened, weakly convex on both sides of lamina, distal 2/3–3/4 of the leaf margins 2-stratose with 1–2 rows of cells similar to the medial cells of the lamina. Specialized asexual reproduction apparently by fragile leaves. Sexual condition apparently dioicous; perigonia not seen; perichaetial leaves little different from the cauline or with wider bases. Seta 0.8–1.2 cm. Capsule 2–2.4 mm; peristome teeth 32, linear, weakly twisted or to 1/2 times, ca. 700–1000 µm. Spores 8–10 (–13) µm. Distal laminal KOH reaction yellow-red.


Phenology: Sporophyte maturity undetermined.
Habitat: Trunk and bases of trees, soil over rock
Elevation: moderate elevations

Distribution

V27 793-distribution-map.gif

B.C., Calif., Europe (Spain)

Discussion

Didymodon eckeliae is an uncommon species known from a few collections in southern and central California, and very recently in coastal British Columbia. F. Puche has collected it in Spain (Alicante, Font Rojas). It is closely related to D. vinealis, sharing the weakly differentiated leaf base, transverse section of the costa deeply convex, and the presence of a short, deep groove with the appearance of a long-elliptical window on the adaxial surface of the costa near the apex, but is immediately distinguished by distal leaf margins 2-stratose in a narrow band extending to the broadened base and often scalloped to weakly notched, at least in leaves of sterile plants. Didymodon vinealis may occasionally have distal leaf margins 2-stratose in small patches, but never evenly so (though sometimes, apparently, completely 2-stratose in distal portion of leaf); D. nicholsonii has a much broader, long-ovate leaf outline. Didymodon sinuosus (Mitten) Delongne of Europe is similar but its immature leaves have denticulate apices, and the distal marginal leaf cells are minutely crenulate (as in Trichostomum tenuirostre) and not 2-stratose.

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 eckeliae"
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 +
long-acuminate +, blunt +  and acute +
Richard H. Zander +
R. H. Zander +
weak +  and strong +
ovate +  and crescent--shaped +
papillose +  and smooth +
usually slightly wider +
short-oblong +
differentiated +
Pottiaceae tribe Barbuleae +
obovoid +
cucullate +
stegocarpous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.24 cm2.4 mm <br />0.0024 m <br />) +
monoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
flat to bulging +
thin;thick +
1 +  and 10 +
hexagonal +
tomentose +  and bare +
short-excurrent +  and percurrent +
tapering +
widened +
quadrate +  and rectangular +
occasionally weakly dentate or crenulate +  and entire +
subquadrate;hexagonal or rounded-angular occasionally shortly rectangular or rhomboid +
B.C. +, Calif. +  and Europe (Spain) +
moderate elevations +
differentiated +
multicellular +
occasional +
Trunk and bases of trees, soil over rock +
yellow +  and orange-red or red +
grooved +  and monomorphic +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
patent +  and spreading-recurved +
spreading +  and strongly reflexed +
ovate +, keeled +  and curled +
reduced +
specialized +
dioicous +  and sexual +
roundedquadrate +
dentate +  and entire +
notched +  and crenate +
short-conic;long-conic +
photosynthetic +
2 +  and 3 +
lateral +  and terminal +
lateral +  and terminal +
0-1/2 times 700-1000 um . spores +  and twisted +
oblong +  and linear or long-triangular +
0-1/2 times 700-1000 um . spores +
Sporophyte maturity undetermined. +
1 (?) +  and 2 (?) +
straight +
yellowish;reddish-brown +
elongate +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
2 +  and 1 +
yellow +, red-orange +, red +  and laminal +
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 /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Barbula sect. Acutae +, Barbula subsect. Acutiformes +, Barbula sect. Asteriscium +, Barbula sect. Fallaces +, Barbula subsect. Fallaciformes +, Barbula sect. Graciles +, Barbula sect. Rubiginosae +, Barbula sect. Vineales +, Barbula subsect. Vinealiformes +, Dactylhymenium +, Didymodon sect. Asteriscium +, Didymodon sect. Fallaces +, Didymodon sect. Graciles +, Didymodon sect. Vineales +, Geheebia +, Husnotiella +  and Trichostomopsis +
Didymodon eckeliae +
Didymodon +
species +
elliptic;cylindric +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
rudimentary +
not perforated +
red +  and yellow +
specialized +
dioicous +  and sexual +
convex +  and quadrate +
thickened +, thin +  and weakly thickened +
stemless +  and perigoniate +