Orthotrichum spjutii

D. H. Norris & Vitt

Nova Hedwigia 56: 260, fig. 1. 1993.

Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 28. Treatment on page 68. Mentioned on page 46.

Plants to 3.5 cm, light green to olive green. Stem-leaves stiff, loosely erect-appressed to erect-curved when dry, broadly lanceolate, ovatelanceolate, or ovate-ligulate, 2–4 mm; margins strongly revolute from near base to just before apex, papillose-crenulate; apex bluntly acute to obtuse; basal laminal cells long-rectangular to elongate, walls thick, ± nodose; distal cells 10–15 µm, 1-stratose, papillae 1–3 per cell, 2-fid, large. Specialized asexual reproduction absent. Sexual condition gonioautoicous. Seta 1–1.5 mm. Capsule emergent, often shortly so, oblong to short-cylindric, 1.5–2 mm, nearly smooth to slightly 8-ribbed, sometimes deeply 8-ribbed and constricted with flaring mouth when old and dry; stomata superficial; peristome rudimentary, appearing absent; prostome absent; exostome teeth 16, erect, sometimes reflexed when old and dry, papillose; endostome segments occasionally rudimentary, usually absent. Calyptra ovoid-campanulate, smooth, hairy, hairs papillose. Spores 8–11 µm.


Habitat: Shaded forests near stream beds, canyons, mountains, deciduous trees, shaded rock
Elevation: high elevations (2600 m)

Discussion

Orthotrichum spjutii is best recognized by: large multifid distal laminal cell papillae, strongly revolute leaf margins, emergent, oblong capsules with peristome reduced to one or two cells (seemingly absent), and small spores. The marginal laminal cells are narrower than the basal cells and somewhat papillose, and the exostome teeth are very short and blunt.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Orthotrichum spjutii"
awned +  and apiculate +
bluntly acute;obtuse +
Dale H. Vitt +
D. H. Norris & Vitt +
not decurrent +
erect +  and ascending +
ovoid-campanulate +
smooth to slightly +
oblong;short-cylindric +
constricted +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
differentiated +
high elevations (2600 m) +
linear-lanceolate +
reflexed +  and erect +
rectangular;elliptic +
connate +
occasional +
Shaded forests near stream beds, canyons, mountains, deciduous trees, shaded rock +
papillose +
erect-curved +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
ovatelanceolate +  and lanceolate +
straight +
spreading +  and widespreading +
not rugose +
linear-lanceolate +, lanceolate +, oblong +  and ovate +
papillose-crenulate +
dioicous +, cladautoicous +  and sexual +
flaring +
rostrate;convex;conic +
mammillose +  and smooth +
sexual +  and asexual +
sometimes larger +
lateral +  and terminal +
Nova Hedwigia +
sinistrorse +, dextrorse +  and erect +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
papillose +  and smooth +
superficial +
Orthotrichum spjutii +
Orthotrichum +
species +
specialized +
cladautoicous +, pseudautoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
incrassate +
light green;olive green +
large +  and small +