Home Central American Mosses
Home
Name Search
Family List
Generic List
Species List
!Plaubelia sprengelii (Schwägr.) 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: Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 32: 176. 1993. (Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci.) Name publication detail
 

Project Name Data (Last Modified On 2/16/2011)
Acceptance : Accepted
Project data     (Last Modified On 2/16/2011)
Discussion :

Plaubelia sprengelii is a small moss that can be confused with H. involuta since both species have spathulate leaves that are tubulose when dry and leaf cells bulging mammillose on the ventral surface. Most collections of P. sprengelii are considerably smaller than H. involuta and they usually have a strongly rosulate habit. But, at times plants of P. sprengelii approach those of H. involuta in size and are evenly foliate. Hyophila involuta is separated from P. sprengelii by its well-developed costal ventral stereid band (absent, or weak in P. sprengelii), the presence of small, non-bulging epidermal cells on the ventral surface of the costa, and its eperistomate capsules. The presence of enlarged and bulging epidermal cells on the costal surface of P. sprengelii, which can be seen on whole leaf mounts, is an especially effective way to recognize the species. Weisiopsis oblonga differs from P. sprengelii in its autoicous sexual condition, enlarged, thin-walled basal leaf cells, and longer peristome teeth.

Illustrations : Schwaegrichen (1823, Pl. 119); Bartram (1949, Fig. 62 A–D); Zander (1983, Figures 7–15); Zander (1993, Pl. 57 1–8); Sharp et al. (1994, Fig. 199 a–d). Figure 59.
Habitat : On rocks, limey cliffs, travertine dikes in streams, wet shaded banks, cement walls and doorways; 400–1200 m.
Distribution in Central America : BELIZE. Cayo: Allen 18194 (BRH, MO); Orange Walk: Hebda B8 (NY); Toledo: Allen 18727 (BRH, MO). GUATEMALA. Chiquimula: Steyermark 31743 (F); Petén: Morgan 28 (MO); HONDURAS. Colón: Saunders 853 (MO); Comayagua: Allen 13730 (MO, TEFH); Cortés: D’Arcy 18192 (MO); El Paraíso: Standley 16703 (F); Francisco Morazán: Standley 12940 (F); Lempira: Allen 11095 (MO, TEFH). PANAMA. San Blas: Allen 4952 (MO, PMA).
World Range : Southeastern U.S.A.; Mexico; Central America; Caribbean, Northern South America, Brazil.

 

Export To PDF Export To Word

Plaubelia sprengelii (Schwaegr.) Zand., Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. 32: 176. 1993.

Barbula sprengelii Schwaegr., Sp. Musc. Frond., Suppl. 2(1): 64. 1823. Tortula sprengelii (Schwaegr.) Hook. & Grev., Edinburgh J. Sci. 1: 301. 1824. Weissia sprengelii (Schwaegr.) Arnott, Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 5: 250. 1827.  Trichostomum sprengelii (Schwaegr.) Lindb., Öfvers. Förh. Kongl. Svenska Vetensk-Akad. 21: 229. 1864. Desmatodon sprengelii (Schwaegr.) Williams, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 46: 217. 1919. Hyophilopsis sprengelii (Schwaegr.) Crum, Bryologist 68: 69. 1965. Neohyophila sprengelii (Schwaegr.) Crum, Bryologist 68: 470. 1965 [1966]. Protologue: In Hispaniola lectam misit cl. Sprengel 

Desmatodon spathulifolius Bartr., Bryologist 50: 205. 1947. Hyophilopsis spathulifolius (Bartr.) Crum, Bryologist 68: 70. 1965. Neohyophila spathulifolia (Bartr.) Crum, Bryologist 68: 470. 1965 [1966]. Protologue: Guatemala. Dept. Huehuetenango: moist calcareous rocks at edge of spring, Rio San Juan near Aguacatan, alt. 5299 ft, A. J. Sharp 5247. Paratype: Sharp 5245 (F, MO). 

Plants 1–6 mm high. Stems erect, strongly rosulate or with evenly spaced and sized leaves throughout, irregularly branched, sclerodermis and central strand present, rhizoids sparse, red, smooth. Leaves 1.5–2.5 mm long, erect at base, tubulose, incurved when dry, wide-spreading when wet, spathulate to oblong, concave; apices rounded to obtuse; margins unistratose, plane or incurved, entire to weakly denticulate, not bordered; costa covered on upper ventral surface by bulging, quadrate to oblong cells, subpercurrent, percurrent or excurrent, guide cells well-developed, ventral stereid band absent or present, at times present as 2-4 small, parenchymatous cells, dorsal stereid band well-developed, epidermal layer enlarged; upper cells 6–14 x 6–8 μm, mammillose-bulging on upper surface, plane to weakly convex, smooth or variously pluripapillose on dorsal surface, rounded-hexagonal, basal cells differentiated only juxtacostally at extreme base, 18–24 x 6–8 μm, short-rectangular to rectangular, with thin- or thick-walled. Dioicous. Perichaetial terminal. Setae 3–5 mm long, yellow becoming red with age. Capsules 1–2 mm long, cylindric to ellipsoidal; stomata in neck; opercula 0.8–1.0 mm long, conic-rostrate; annuli of 2–3 rows of vesiculose cells; peristome of 16 red, spiculose, long-linear teeth, cleft to the base, 120–180 μm long, erect, not twisted, basal membrane absent. Spores 8–10 μm, lightly roughened. Calyptrae smooth, 2 mm long.

 

 

 
 
© 2025 Missouri Botanical Garden - 4344 Shaw Boulevard - Saint Louis, Missouri 63110