Scorpidium cossonii

(Schimper) Hedenas

Lindbergia 15: 18. 1989.

Illustrated
Basionym: Hypnum cossonii Schimper Musci Eur. Nov. 3–4(Hypnum): 5, plate 5. 1866 (as cossoni) Limprichtia cossonii H. A. Crum & W. R. Buck
Synonyms: Drepanocladus intermedius (Lindberg) Warnstorf D. revolvens subsp. intermedius (Lindberg) Grout D. revolvens var. intermedius (Lindberg) L. R. Wilson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 28. Treatment on page 388. Mentioned on page 294, 386, 390.

Plants medium-sized to large (sometimes when submerged), rarely small, not turgid, green, yellow-green, brown, or brown-red. Stems pinnate or sometimes irregularly branched, shoot apices sometimes slightly hooked; hyalodermis well developed, complete. Stem-leaves ovate or broadly ovate, gradually or often abruptly narrowed to apex, ± suddenly curved distally, concave, 0.5–1.1 mm wide; apex short or long-acuminate, often apiculate; costa single, ending beyond mid leaf; alar cells 2–10 (–15); medial laminal cells (shorter 1/2 of leaf) 14–95 (–120) µm, cell ends square, rounded, or short fusiform-narrowed. Sexual condition dioicous. Capsule with exostome external surface more than 70% dotted basally.


Habitat: Calcium-rich soil, bedrock, mountains, calcium-rich fens, springs, water-filled depressions, shores, submerged
Elevation: low to high elevations (0-3700 m)

Distribution

V28 610-distribution-map.gif

Greenland, Alta., B.C., Man., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., Nunavut, N.S., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Colo., Conn., Ill., Iowa, Maine, Mich., Minn., Mont., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Vt., Wis., South America, Eurasia, Pacific Islands (New Zealand)

Discussion

Scorpidium cossonii is often confused with S. revolvens or Hamatocaulis vernicosus. From the latter it is easily distinguished by the hyalodermis and usually present central strand of the stem, differentiated hyaline and inflated alar cells of the stem leaves, and nonplicate stem leaves. Scorpidium cossonii differs from S. revolvens in being dioicous (the latter is autoicous) and in having shorter medial laminal cells with square to shortly fusiform-narrowed ends; the cell ends are short to long fusiform-narrowed in the latter. Both species may have red pigment; in such cases S. cossonii is usually brownish red while S. revolvens is mostly blackish or purplish red. Due to variation in both species, especially when herbarium material is also considered, color should be used with care in identifying specimens. Dark purplish plants usually belong to S. revolvens and predominantly green or yellow-green plants with a brown-red costa and/or leaf base belong to S. cossonii.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Scorpidium cossonii"
long-acuminate +
Lars Hedenäs +
(Schimper) Hedenas +
curved +  and straight +
decurrent +
Hypnum cossonii +  and Limprichtia cossonii +
cucullate +
cylindric +
dioicous +  and sexual +
fusiform-narrowed +, rounded +  and square +
2 +  and 10 +
inflated +  and long-rectangular +
differentiated +
ending beyond mid leaf +  and short +
Greenland +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.W.T. +, Nunavut +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Ill. +, Iowa +, Maine +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Vt. +, Wis. +, South America +, Eurasia +  and Pacific Islands (New Zealand) +
low to high elevations (0-3700 m) +
brownish +  and yellowbrown +
Calcium-rich soil, bedrock, mountains, calcium-rich fens, springs, water-filled depressions, shores, submerged +
dentate +  and entire +
entire +  and denticulate +
autoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
obovate +, oblong +, ovate +  and lanceolate +
triangular +
Illustrated +
concave;narrowed;ovate;ovate +
0.5mm;1.1mm +
Drepanocladus intermedius +, D. revolvens subsp. intermedius +  and D. revolvens var. intermedius +
Scorpidium cossonii +
Scorpidium +
species +
brown-red +, brown +, yellow-green +  and green +
small +, medium-sized +  and large +
transitional +