Lindbergia brachyptera

(Mitten) Kindberg

Eur. N. Amer. Bryin., 13. 1897.

Basionym: Pterogonium brachypterum Mitten J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 8. 37. 1864
Synonyms: Leskea austinii Sulli vant Lindbergia brachyptera var. austinii (Sullivant) Grout
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 28. Treatment on page 354.

Plants dark green, yellowish, or brownish, dull. Stems ± straight, not subjulaceous when dry. Leaves widespreading to squarrose when dry or moist, ovate to ovatelanceolate, gradually to abruptly narrowed to apex, 0.9–1.4 mm; margins entire or faintly serrate distally; apex pale or yellowish; costa 1/2–2/3 leaf length, slender; basal laminal cells oblate; medial cells oval, rounded, or rhombic, 8–10 µm, bluntly 1-papillose; apical cells oblong, smooth. Specialized asexual reproduction by brood branches often present in leaf-axils, in ± straight, dense clusters. Seta 0.6–0.8 cm. Capsule 1.5 mm. Spores 18–23 µm, very minutely roughened.


Phenology: Capsules mature Mar–Dec.
Habitat: Tree trunks, roadside maples and elms, deciduous trees, cedar, pine, logs, rock
Elevation: low to high elevations (30-2800 m)

Distribution

V28 552-distribution-map.gif

Man., Ont., Que., Ariz., Ark., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., Wis., Mexico (Zacatecas), Asia

Discussion

In New Mexico and western Texas, the ranges of Lindbergia brachyptera and L. mexicana overlap. However, L. brachyptera is distinguished by nonjulaceous branches, leaves widely spreading when moist, abruptly narrowed acumina often pale green or yellowish, slender costa 1/2–2/3 times the leaf length, and strongly 1-papillose laminal cells.

In the northwestern part of the range of Lindbergia brachyptera, plants form rather large dense mats on the bark of trees. This is not true in the eastern part of its range where plants seldom form mats, and colonies often consist of single to very few scattered strands growing in crevices of bark or among other mosses. Consequently, this species is easily overlooked and probably under-collected in the eastern part of its range. This may explain the absence of collections from West Virginia and only scattered collections from Kentucky and Tennessee. Lindbergia brachyptera is very common in Iowa, eastern Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. H. A. Crum (1956) provided an excellent discussion of the ecology and geography of L. brachyptera.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"slender" is not a number."broad" is not a number.

... more about "Lindbergia brachyptera"
yellowish +  and pale +
long-acuminate +, acute +  and short-acuminate +
Paul L. Redfearn Jr. +
(Mitten) Kindberg +
adherent +  and free +
Pterogonium brachypterum +
monopodial +  and branching +
spreading;erect +
flagelliform +
cucullate +
long-exserted +
oblong-cylindric +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +
quadrate;short-rectangular +
rudimentary +
excurrent +  and percurrent +
straight +  and weakly flexuose +
specialized +
1/2 +  and 2/3 +
autoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
sinuate +  and 2-fid +
Man. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wis. +, Mexico (Zacatecas) +  and Asia +
low to high elevations (30-2800 m) +
not striolate +  and papillose +
blunt +  and lanceolate +
Tree trunks, roadside maples and elms, deciduous trees, cedar, pine, logs, rock +
widespreading +  and squarrose +
ovate +  and ovatelanceolate +
0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br /> (0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br />) +
toothed +, entire +  and plane +
rhombic;rounded;rhombic;rounded;oval +
blunt +  and conic +
branched +  and unbranched +
Capsules mature Mar–Dec. +
stoloniferous +
peglike +  and linear +
Eur. N. Amer. Bryin., +
keeled;linear +
curved +  and straight +
elongate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
asymmetric +  and symmetric +
imbricate +  and crowded +
widespreading;squarrose +
ovatelanceolate +  and ovate +
straight +
slender +
differentiated +
Leskea austinii +  and Lindbergia brachyptera var. austinii +
Lindbergia brachyptera +
Lindbergia +
species +
specialized +
autoicous +, sexual +  and asexual +
brownish +, yellowish +  and dark green +