Schistidium pulchrum

H. H. Blom

Bryophyt. Biblioth. 49: 119, fig. 41. 1996,.

Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 221. Mentioned on page 210, 222.

Plants in open to compact tufts, (yellow-) green, olivaceous, sometimes brownish or blackish. Stems 1.2–5 cm, central strand distinct. Leaves erect or curved, sometimes imbricate but usually with spreading leaf tips, sometimes weakly contorted, ovatelanceolate, sharply keeled distally, 1.5–2.3 mm, 1-stratose, rarely 2-stratose in striae distally; margins usually recurved to near apex, smooth but sometimes slightly toothed along decurrent portion of awn, 1-stratose or 2-stratose; apices acute or subobtuse; costa usually excurrent as a denticulate or spinulose-denticulate, straight or flexuose, usually bright white (sharply contrasting with the lamina), strongly decurrent awn, smooth; basal marginal cells quadrate or rectangular, trigonous; distal laminal cells variable in shape and size, isodiametric or short-rectangular, strongly trigonous, often guttulate and, occasionally, with stellate lumina, especially at mid leaf, 8–11 µm wide, smooth, strongly sinuose. Sexual condition autoicous. Capsule orangebrown or reddish-brown, cylindric, 0.8–1.3 mm; exothecial cells often irregularly shaped, mostly isodiametric or oblate, occasionally mixed with a few elongate cells, thin-walled, walls sometimes curved, often with small trigones; stomata present; peristome patent to recurved, often twisted, 250–450 µm, red, densely papillose, usually weakly perforated. Spores 11–15 µm, finely granulose.


Phenology: Capsules mature late spring to early summer.
Habitat: Rocks in somewhat shaded habitats
Elevation: low to high elevations (0-2500 m)

Distribution

V27 303-distribution-map.gif

Greenland, Alta., B.C., Man., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Colo., Mich., Minn., S.Dak., Utah, Wis., Eurasia

Discussion

Although Schistidium pulchrum is variable in color and size, its bright awns that sharply contrast with the leaves and its strongly trigonous laminal cells, sometimes forming stellate lumina, especially near mid leaf, distinguish it.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Schistidium pulchrum"
deciduous +  and persistent +
subobtuse +  and acute +
multistratose +
Terry T. McIntosh +
H. H. Blom +
bright white +
flexuose +  and straight +
not papillose +
decurrent +, spinulose-denticulate +  and denticulate +
sinuous +  and straight to sometimes +
rectangular +
trigonous +, rectangular +  and quadrate +
divided +
undifferentiated +
elongate +
plicate +  and smooth +
not papillose +
mitrate +  and cucullate +
small;large +
sulcate +  and smooth +
reddish-brown +  and orangebrown +
long-exserted +
striate +  and smooth +
cylindric +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br />) +
thin +  and thick +
subpercurrent +
reniform +, elliptical +  and terete +
usually not markedly larger +
2-stratose +  and 1-stratose +
sinuose +  and guttulate +
autoicous +  and sexual +
trigonous +, short-rectangular +  and isodiametric +
Greenland +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.W.T. +, Nunavut +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Colo. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, S.Dak. +, Utah +, Wis. +  and Eurasia +
low to high elevations (0-2500 m) +
oblate +, isodiametric +  and irregularly--shaped +
reproduction +  and asexual +
dioicous +, autoicous +  and sexual +
Rocks in somewhat shaded habitats +
papillose +, mammillose +  and smooth +
2-stratose +  and 1-stratose +
specialized +
dioicous +, autoicous +  and sexual +
keeled +  and ovatelanceolate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
2-stratose;1-stratose +
thick-walled +  and sinuose +
papillose +  and smooth +
subtriangular +, ovate +, rectangular +  and quadrate +
thick-walled +  and sinuose +
papillose +  and smooth +
not +  and differentiated +
perforated +  and twisted +
patent +  and recurved +
lanceolate;linear +
Capsules mature late spring to early summer. +
decurrent +
Bryophyt. Biblioth. +
straight +
sigmoid +  and arcuate +
papillose +  and smooth +
short to long +
ornamented +  and smooth +
globose +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
muticous;long-awned +
Schistidium pulchrum +
Schistidium +
species +
open +  and compact +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
blackish;brownish;olivaceous;green +