Oligotrichum hercynicum

(Hedwig) Lamarck & de Candolle

Fl. Franç. ed. 3, 2: 492. 1805,.

Basionym: Polytrichum hercynicum Hedwig Sp. Musc. Frond., 94. 1801
Synonyms: Oligotrichum incurvum (Bridel) Lindberg
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 144. Mentioned on page 143, 145.

Plants bright green, somewhat glaucous, becoming reddish-brown with age. Stems 1–2.5 (–3) cm. Leaves 2.5–5 mm, lanceolate from a weakly sheathing base, broadly incurved and subtubulose when dry, somewhat spreading but remaining incurved and strongly channeled distally when moist; margins entire to finely and distantly serrulate; costa percurrent or shortly excurrent as a short mucro, the adaxial surface with several low continuous or interrupted abaxial lamellae; abaxial surface of lamina smooth or sporadically with scattered short lamellae near the apex of leaf; adaxial lamellae 8–20, 6–13 cells high, restricted to the costa, crispate-undulate, extending to the middle of the leaf or below, the margins finely and irregularly crenulate with bulging marginal cells, smooth; median cells of lamina 15–20 µm, somewhat smaller towards the margins, rounded subquadrate, thick-walled; marginal teeth distant, minute, unicellular; perichaetial leaves 3–3.5 mm, narrowly lanceolate. Seta stout, pale-brown, 2–4 cm. Capsule 2–4 mm, cylindric, slightly larger at the base, terete or irregularly angled or ridged; peristome teeth 32, double, somewhat irregular. Spores 10–15 µm.


Habitat: Soil, gravel, and moist peaty embankments, open disturbed sites, roadcuts, beside paths, on lake shores, stream banks, late snow areas, also aquatic in rapidly flowing glacier melt streams
Elevation: moderate to high elevations (500-2200 m)

Distribution

V27 178-distribution-map.gif

Greenland, Alta., B.C., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Yukon, Alaska, Mont., Oreg., Wash., Europe (southward to Spain), Europe (Turkey), e Asia (Japan)

Discussion

An arctic-alpine species widespread in northern latitudes, Oligotrichum hercynicum is a pioneer species, typically forming bright green patches on disturbed soil but, like O. falcatum, also in aquatic habitats.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broadened" is not a number."broadest" is not a number."longer and narrower" is not a number.

... more about "Oligotrichum hercynicum"
interrupted +, continuous +, low +  and several +
apiculate;obtuse;acute;cucullate;flat;apiculate;obtuse;acute;cucullate;flat;apiculate;obtuse;acute;cucullate;flat;apiculate;obtuse;acute;cucullate;flat +
prominent +
Gary L. Smith Merrill +
(Hedwig) Lamarck & de Candolle +
Polytrichum hercynicum +
abrupt +, crisped +  and undulate +
firm-textured +
overlapping +
monoicous +, dioicous +, sexual +  and vegetative +
crenulate;crispate-undulate +
sparsely ciliate;smooth +
cucullate +
sometimes +  and rugose +
ridged +, angled +, terete +  and cylindric +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
excurrent +  and percurrent +
toothed +
undifferentiated +
not differentiated +
Greenland +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Mont. +, Oreg. +, Wash. +, Europe (southward to Spain) +, Europe (Turkey) +  and e Asia (Japan) +
moderate to high elevations (500-2200 m) +
pitted +  and not papillate +
scabrous +, mammillose +  and smooth +
Soil, gravel, and moist peaty embankments, open disturbed sites, roadcuts, beside paths, on lake shores, stream banks, late snow areas, also aquatic in rapidly flowing glacier melt streams +
delimited +  and indistinct +
not differentiated +
photosynthetic +
serrate +, crenulate +  and serrulate +
subquadrate +  and rounded +
incurved +  and spreading +
channeled +  and lanceolate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
membranous +
cuticular-papillose +  and smooth +
denticulate +  and subentire +
shape +  and size +
dioicous +  and sexual +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
pigmented +  and pale +
simple +  and compound +
subacute +  and obtuse +
Fl. Franç. ed. +
underground +
pale-brown +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
differentiated +
larger +  and minute +
branched +  and simple +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Oligotrichum incurvum +
Oligotrichum hercynicum +
Oligotrichum +
species +
compound +  and simple +
unjointed +
reddish-brown +  and bright green +
small +  and medium-sized +