Home Central American Mosses
Home
Name Search
Family List
Generic List
Species List
!Didymodon laevigatus (Mitt.) R.H. Zander Search in The Plant ListSearch in NYBG Virtual HerbariumSearch in Muséum national d'Histoire naturelleSearch in Type Specimen Register of the U.S. National HerbariumSearch in Virtual Herbaria AustriaSearch in JSTOR Plant ScienceSearch in SEINetSearch in African Plants Database at Geneva Botanical GardenAfrican Plants, Senckenberg Photo GallerySearch in Flora do Brasil 2020Search in Reflora - Virtual HerbariumSearch in Living Collections Decrease font Increase font Restore font
 

Published In: Phytologia 41: 29. 1978. (Phytologia) Name publication detailView in Biodiversity Heritage Library
 

Project Name Data (Last Modified On 2/15/2011)
Acceptance : Accepted
Project data     (Last Modified On 2/15/2011)
Discussion:

In its reddish yellow color, leaf stance, leaf shape, and stoutly excurrent costa that fills the apex D. laevigatus is similar to D. acutus. It differs from that species in having somewhat longer leaves that are keeled above, elongate cells on the upper ventral surface of the costa, and smooth, strongly thickened upper and median leaf cells. Didymodon ferrugineus is similar to D. laevigatus in having elongate cells on the upper ventral surface of the costa and a reddish yellow color. It differs from D. laevigatus in having papillose leaf cells and lanceolate leaves that are shorter (1.5 mm vs 3.3 mm long) and squarrose-recurved when wet.

Illustrations: Figure 25.
Habitat: On rocks near river; 3300 m.
Distribution in Central America: COSTA RICA. Cartago: King C-1277 (US); San José: Crosby 10931 (BUF, CR, DUKE, MICH, MO, NY, TENN, US).
World Range: Central America; Caribbean; Western South America.

 

Export To PDF Export To Word

Didymodon laevigatus (Mitt.) Zand., Phytologia 41: 29. 1978.

Tortula laevigatus Mitt., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 160. 1869. Barbula laevigata (Mitt.) Jaeg., Ber. Thätigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 1871–72: 426. 1873. Protologue: Ecuador.  Andes Quitenses in monte Cordovasto (11,000 ped.) Spruce, n. 199; Chimborazo (10,000 ped.), Spruce, n. 200. Lectotype (Steere 1948): Spruce 199

Plants medium- or robust-sized, reddish yellow above, brown below, in tufts to 30 mm high. Stems red, erect, sparsely and irregularly branched, sclerodermis and central strand present; rhizoids sparse, at base of stems. Axillary hairs 3–5 cells long, basal cell brown. Leaves 2.0–3.3 mm long, lanceolate from a broadly ovate base, erect and somewhat clasping at base, erect-incurved to erect-contorted when dry, erect-spreading when wet, keeled and somewhat grooved along the costa on ventral surface; apices sharply acute to subulate; lamina unistratose or occasionally bistratose along the margins; margins entire, recurved to  revolute below, plane at times recurved above; costa filling the apex and stoutly excurrent, surface ventral cells elongate, guide cells well-developed, dorsal and ventral stereid bands present, at times poorly developed, ventral and dorsal surface cells small, thick-walled; upper and basal cells smooth, weakly differentiated, upper cells very thick-walled, round, oblate or oblong, 4–10 x 6–12 μm, basal cells long- to short-rectangular, thick-walled, 17–56 x 8–10 μm, basal marginal cells subquadrate, alar cells not differentiated. Dioicous. Perichaetia terminal. Sporophytes unknown in Central America, description based on South American plants. Setae smooth, 12–20 mm long, red. Capsules long-cylindrical, erect, 2.0–3.0 mm long, smooth; exothecial cells long-rectangular, firm-walled; stomata in neck; opercula erect, long-conic, 1.5–2 mm long; annuli well-developed; peristome red, basal membrane low, teeth 1.5 mm long, spirally twisted. Spores 16 μm, smooth. Calyptrae not seen.

 

 

 
 
© 2024 Missouri Botanical Garden - 4344 Shaw Boulevard - Saint Louis, Missouri 63110