Tortula cuneifolia var. blissii

R. H. Zander

Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. 32: 223, plate 85, figs. 21–25. 1993,.

Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 591. Mentioned on page 592.

Leaves short to long-ovate, apex broadly acute, apiculate, margins plane, weakly bordered throughout or near apex with 2–4 rows of smaller, thicker-walled cells, occasionally shortrectangular; costa ending in an apiculus, lacking an adaxial pad of cells, distally narrow, (2–) 4 cells across adaxial surface; distal laminal cells inflated hexagonal to shortrectangular, width 15–20 µm, 1 (–2):1, smooth. Sexual condition paroicous or autoicous. Sporophytes exerted. Seta length 0.4–0.5 cm. Capsule stegocarpic, not systylius, cylindric, erect and nearly straight, urn 1.3–1.5 mm; peristome ca. 800 µm, teeth of 32 filaments twisted about 1/2 turn, basal membrane ca. 100 µm; operculum ca. 1.1 mm. Spores 12–15 µm, spheric, finely papillose.


Phenology: Capsule maturity date unknown (the typical variety has capsules mature in spring).
Habitat: Apparently on soil
Elevation: low elevations (0 m)

Discussion

Variety blissii is known only from the type collection, Nunavut, Cornwallis Island, Resolute Bay area. It differs from the typical variety by blackish gametophyte, short-elliptic (not broadly obovate) leaves that are apiculate (never grading to short-awned), costa slightly wider, seta shorter and thicker, operculum larger. The leaves of var. blissii are identical to those of muticous-leaved forms of the typical variety, but show a very strong color reaction to KOH: bright yellow upper lamina and deep brick-red basal cells, colors which are pale in European specimens. The short, thick seta is apparently unique to this arctic variety; European specimens have setae 0.7–1.5 mm in length and ca. 0.15 mm in width. As in European specimens, the capsule is variably macro- and microstomous, and the operculum is broadly to narrowly conic. The type specimen was incorrectly reported (D. H. Vitt and R. H. Zander 1978) as representing a second known station for Tortula deciduidentata (as Crumia deciduidentata), which has a similar short, thick seta and smooth, weakly bordered leaves that are bright yellow in KOH except for brick-red basal cells, but which differs in the operculum pushed off by the elongating columella; capsule and spores larger; and leaves revolute proximally, with much-enlarged basal cells and costa narrower, sometimes excurrent and sharply truncate.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"um" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

smooth +  and papillose +
smooth +  and papillose +
4 +  and lacking +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
channeled +, nearly flat +  and concave +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
of 1-2 rows +  and differentiated +
long-excurrent +  and short-excurrent +
Richard H. Zander +  and Patricia M. Eckel +
R. H. Zander +
semicircular +  and elliptical +
semicircular +, elliptical +  and rounded +
papillose +  and smooth +
usually slightly wider +
usually ovate;oblong +
differentiated +
Bryum cuneifolium +
obovoid +
cucullate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (?) +
not systylius +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
dark-brown +  and yellowish-brown +
cleistocarpous +  and stegocarpous +
cylindric +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
monoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
thicker-walled +
1 +  and 3 +
elongate-rhomboid +  and elongate +
smaller +
tomentose +  and bare +
percurrent +  and long-excurrent +
subpercurrent +
autoicous +, paroicous +  and sexual +
Nunavut. +
low elevations (0 m) +
differentiated +
multicellular +
Apparently on soil +
somewhat larger +
yellow +  and orange-red or red +
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 +
spreading +  and appressed-incurved +
long-ovate +
reduced +
near apex +  and bordered +
serrulate +  and entire +
smaller +
rostrate;long-conic +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (?) +
differentiated +
photosynthetic +
simple +  and hollow +
4 +  and 6 +
lateral +  and terminal +
lateral +  and terminal +
800 cm8,000 mm <br />8 m <br /> (?) +
red +, orange +  and yellow +
consisting of 16 mostly 2 times cleft spiculose striate or papillose lanceolate teeth , , , , +  and rudimentary +
Capsule maturity date unknown (the typical variety has capsules mature in spring). +
Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. +
straight +
not twisted +  and twisted +
brown;yellowish-brown +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
elongate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
2 +  and 1 +
orange +, red +, yellow +, laminal +  and light-brown +
spheric +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
rounded-pentagonal +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Desmatodon +, Phascum +, Pottia +  and Protobryum +
Tortula cuneifolia var. blissii +
Tortula cuneifolia +
variety +
ovoid;cylindric +
rudimentary +
triangular +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
yellow distally and red +, orange +, red +  and yellow +
rectangular +
thickened +, thin +  and thicker +
stemless +  and perigoniate +
yellowbrown;dark-brown +
occasionally smaller than the perichaetiate +