Syntrichia cainii

(H. A. Crum & L. E. Anderson) R. H. Zander

Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. 32: 267. 1993,.

Basionym: Tortula cainii H. A. Crum & L. E. Anderson J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 74: 35, figs. 10–17. 1958
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 620. Mentioned on page 618.

Stems 10–20 mm. Leaves infolded, twisted, and slightly contorted when dry, erect-spreading with recurved tips when moist, variable in shape and size, usually oblong-ovate, 1.5–2 × 0.75–1.5 mm; margins revolute in the proximal 1/2–2/3, entire; apices obtuse but abruptly narrowed to a blunt tip; costa ending well before the apex, brown, smooth; basal-cells abruptly differentiated, narrower toward the margins; distal cells rounded, polygonal, or quadrate, 12–18 µm, with 3–5 papillae per cell, thick-walled and collenchymatous. Specialized asexual reproduction absent. Sexual condition dioicous (perigonia and sporophytes unknown).


Habitat: Limestone
Elevation: moderate elevations

Discussion

Plants identified as Syntrichia cainii from elsewhere in North America (e.g., Kansas, Colorado, and California) are probably incorrectly identified. The difficulty comes from several other species (especially S. norvegica) having scattered neotenic races in which the mature leaves lack awns and thus appear superficially similar to S. cainii. More detailed research, including culture studies, is needed to better understand and distinguish these forms.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Syntrichia cainii"
elongate +  and quadrate +
of 1-2 rows +  and differentiated +
long-excurrent +  and short-excurrent +
apiculate +, emarginate +  and truncate +
narrowed +  and obtuse +
Brent D. Mishler +
(H. A. Crum & L. E. Anderson) R. H. Zander +
colored +  and hyaline +
reniform +  and rounded +
rectangular +
papillose +  and smooth +
usually slightly wider +
usually ovate;oblong +
Tortula cainii +
obovoid +
not differentiated +
brown +  and yellow +
acute +  and long-cucullate +
brown +  and red +
curved +  and straight +
cleistocarpous +  and stegocarpous +
striolate +
cylindric +
monoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
flat to bulging +
vesiculose +  and thick-walled +
few +  and several +
elongate-rhomboid +  and elongate +
tomentose +  and bare +
collenchymatous +  and thick-walled +
sometimes slightly longer than wide +
dioicous +, sexual +  and asexual +
quadrate +, polygonal +  and rounded +
large +  and small +
moderate elevations +
differentiated +
multicellular +
Limestone +
yellow +  and orange-red or red +
strong +  and weak +
1 +  and 3 +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
concave;keeled;channeled;ovoid;lanceolate or lingulate +
erect-spreading +
infolded +
reduced +
revolute +  and plane +
pale +  and colored +
distinct +
photosynthetic +
compound +, simple +, hollow +  and solid +
3 +  and 5 +
flattened +  and 2-fid +
lateral +  and terminal +
blunt +, oblong-lingulate +  and ovate +
lateral +  and terminal +
red +, orange +  and yellow +
consisting of 16 mostly 2 times cleft spiculose striate or papillose lanceolate teeth , , , , +  and rudimentary +
synoicous +, autoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
cylindric +  and spherical +
Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. +
straight +
elongate +
2 +  and 1 +
brick-red +  and laminal +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Syntrichia cainii +
Syntrichia +
species +
ovoid;cylindric +
1.5mm;2mm +
blunt +  and oblong-ovate +
variable +
0.075 cm0.75 mm <br />7.5e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
yellow distally and red +, orange +, red +  and yellow +
stemless +  and perigoniate +
green;yellow or redbrown +
small +  and large +