Schistidium grandirete

Plants in open, occasionally compact tufts, yellowbrown or dull red, often with yellowish or olivaceous tones. Stems 1.2–7 cm, central strand weak or absent. Leaves erect or slightly curved when dry, ovatelanceolate, occasionally linear-lanceolate, keeled distally, 1.7–2.6 mm, 1-stratose; margins usually recurved to apex, smooth or weakly toothed, 2-stratose or 1-stratose in spots; apices acute; costa percurrent or short-excurrent as a smooth or weakly denticulate, occasionally decurrent awn, abaxial surface sometimes papillose; basal marginal cells short-rectangular or quadrate; distal cells mostly short-rectangular, 11–14 µm wide, strongly sinuose. Sexual condition autoicous. Capsule orange or redbrown, short-cylindric or cupulate, 0.7–1.1 mm; exothecial cells usually isodiametric, quadrate or irregularly angular, usually mixed with a few elongate cells, thin-walled, trigonous; stomata present or absent; peristome patent to squarrose-recurved, often twisted, 330–530 µm, bright red, papillose, usually strongly perforated. Spores 15–21 µm, granulose or verruculose.

Phenology: Capsules mature late spring to early summer.
Habitat: Rocks and on moist mineral soil
Elevation: low to moderate elevations (0-600 m)

Greenland, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., Nunavut, Que., Eurasia

Discussion

Schistidium grandirete is an arctic species characterized by a distinctive orange-brown or dull red color and large laminal cells. Differences between S. grandirete and the similar arctic species 18. S. holmenianum are discussed thereunder.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa