Orthodontium gracile

(Wilson) Schwagrichen ex Bruch & Schimper

Bryol. Europ. 4: 70. 1844.

Illustrated
Basionym: Bryum gracile Wilson in J. E. Smith et al., Engl. Bot., suppl. 3: plate 2835. 1838
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 28. Treatment on page 115. Mentioned on page 114, 116.

Plants 0.5–2 (–3) cm, glossy-vitreous. Stems with central strand absent. Leaves strongly flexuose distally when dry or moist, narrowly setaceous, (1–) 2–3 (–4.5) mm, 0.1–0.2 mm wide mid leaf, widest below mid leaf; margins broadly recurved; costa stereid cells absent. Sexual condition paroicous or polygamous; antheridia among perichaetial leaves below archegonia or in buds below perichaetium. Seta 0.4–0.5 (–0.9) cm. Capsule subcylindric, (1–) 1.5–2 mm, neck nearly as long as or to 1/3 capsule length; operculum short-rostrate; exostome teeth somewhat wider at base, smooth; endostome basal membrane absent, segments shorter than exostome teeth.


Phenology: Capsules mature winter–early spring.
Habitat: Moist creek ravines and canyons, base of cliffs, riparian forests of Acer, Alnus, Lithocarpus, Pseudotsuga, Sequoia, shaded decayed or charred logs and stumps, bark at base of trees, epiphytic on Sequoia sempervirens, peaty soil, soil over rock
Elevation: moderate elevations

Distribution

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Calif., Oreg., sw Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, w Europe, Africa

Discussion

W. Meijer (1951) depicted both the smooth exostome of Orthodontium gracile and the papillose one of O. pellucens with a median fissural line. The endostome of both species was drawn with the fissural line absent except at the base. As described and drawn by Meijer, the lengths of the endostomes of both species seem to be the same. Recent treatments of these characters diverge from Meijer.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"widest" is not a number.

... more about "Orthodontium gracile"
3-seriate +  and 2-seriate +
slender-acute +
long-rectangular +
Patricia M. Eckel +
- Wilson Schwagrichen ex Bruch & Schimper +
absent +  and present +
undifferentiated +
Bryum gracile +
cucullate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> - 0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> +
subcylindric +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> - 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> +
polygamous +, paroicous +  and sexual +
equilateral;short-rectangular +
short-excurrent +
Calif. +, Oreg. +, sw Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +, South America +, w Europe +  and Africa +
moderate elevations +
not differentiated +
median +  and inserted +
papillose +  and smooth +
short-rectangular +
Moist creek ravines and canyons, base of cliffs, riparian forests of Acer, Alnus, Lithocarpus, Pseudotsuga, Sequoia, shaded decayed or charred logs and stumps, bark at base of trees, epiphytic on Sequoia sempervirens, peaty soil, soil over rock +
reddish-brown +
filamentous +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> - 0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> +
flexuose +
spreading +, erect-spreading +  and patent +
setaceous +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> - 0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> +
short-rostrate +
ovatelanceolate +
diplolepidous-alternate +
Capsules mature winter–early spring. +
Bryol. Europ. +
smooth;finely papillose +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> - 0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> +
erect-flexuose +
elongate +
slender +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> - 0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> +
Illustrated +
spheric +
simple +  and foliose +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> - 2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> +
Orthodontium gracile +
Orthodontium +
species +
specialized +
paroicous +, autoicous +  and sexual +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> - 3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> +
light yellow-green;yellowbrown +
glossy +  and shiny +