Leskea gracilescens

Hedwig

Sp. Musc. Frond., 222, plate 56, figs. 8 – 13. 1801.

EndemicIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 28. Treatment on page 350. Mentioned on page 351.

Plants dark green or brownish. Stems with branches spreading, ± tightly foliate, not curved at apices. Stem and branch leaves similar. Stem-leaves not much longer than broad, 0.6–0.8 mm; apex acute or sometimes narrowly blunt. Branch leaves somewhat crowded, ovate to ovatelanceolate, ± 2-plicate basally, 0.4–0.5 mm; margins irregularly revolute proximally or beyond, especially when dry; apex acute or sometimes bluntly pointed; costa ending near apex; distal laminal cells 7–11 µm, obscurely bulging-papillose on both surfaces, more noticeably so abaxially. Seta yellowbrown, becoming orangebrown or reddish with age, 0.5–0.8 cm. Capsule reddish, oblong-cylindric, straight to sometimes curved before dehiscence, 1.5–2.2 mm; annulus 1-seriate or 2-seriate; operculum rounded-conic, ± pointed; exostome teeth pale yellowish to brownish yellow; endostome segments as long as exostome teeth. Spores 12–14 µm, very finely papillose.


Phenology: Capsules mature year-round.
Habitat: Base and trunks of hardwood trees, red cedar, soil around tree bases, logs, shingle roofs, rock
Elevation: low to moderate elevations (10-900 m)

Distribution

V28 545-distribution-map.gif

Man., Ont., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ill., Ind., Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

Leskea gracilescens is the most common species of the genus in North America. While the species occurs throughout the United States and Canada from North Dakota to Ontario south to the coastal plain, it is most common in the Midwest where its colonies are often quite large and dense. In the western part of its range, plants with blunt leaves are difficult to distinguish from L. obscura. However, these blunt-leaved forms will have some leaves with plications and revolute margins. If mature capsules with intact peristomes are present, L. gracilescens is easily distinguished from L. obscura by an endostome and exostome nearly equal in length (0.2–0.4 mm) and an operculum that is more pointed than the operculum of L. obscura. The plants of L. gracilescens are rigid.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broad" is not a number.

... more about "Leskea gracilescens"
2-seriate +  and 1-seriate +
pointed +, acute +  and blunt +
autoicous +, sexual +  and asexual +
Paul L. Redfearn Jr. +
Hedwig +
adherent +  and free +
monopodial +  and branching +
ovate +  and ovatelanceolate +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
flagelliform +
cucullate +
curved +  and straight to sometimes +
long-exserted +
oblong-cylindric +
subquadrate +
differentiated +
rudimentary +
excurrent +  and percurrent +
flexuose-curved +
specialized +
ending before apex +  and subpercurrent +
autoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
sinuate +  and 2-fid +
bulging-papillose +
Man. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
low to moderate elevations (10-900 m) +
pale yellowish +  and brownish yellow +
linear-lanceolate +
Base and trunks of hardwood trees, red cedar, soil around tree bases, logs, shingle roofs, rock +
0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
not much longer than broad +
entire;subserrulate +
pointed +  and rounded-conic +
branched +  and unbranched +
linear-lanceolate +
Capsules mature year-round. +
stoloniferous +
peglike +  and linear +
Sp. Musc. Frond., +
keeled;linear +
reddish +, orangebrown +  and yellowbrown +
curved +  and straight +
elongate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
asymmetric +  and symmetric +
erect-spreading;recurved;erect +
plane +, 2-plicate +, ovatelanceolate +  and oblong-ovate +
not curved +
slender +
differentiated +
Leskea gracilescens +
species +
brownish +  and dark green +