Asplenium Fissidens Moss

Fissidens asplenioides, usually a robust species, is recognized by leaves typically curled tightly inward from the tips when dry, a minor lamina that in most leaves is rounded distally and attached more or less only along costa, lenticularly thickened dorsal and ventral laminal cells, elongate medial marginal cells of the vaginant laminae oriented obliquely, and oblongifolius-type costa which in the distal part of the leaf in transverse section shows a single row of enlarged cells. The oblongifolius-type costa, found in F. asplenioides and F. santa-clarensis, is unique to sect. Amblyothallia of subg. Pachyfissidens (R. A. Pursell and M. A. Bruggeman-Nannenga 2004). Subterranean, multicellular, irregularly globose, rhizoidal gemmae have been reported in Macaronesian specimens of F. asplenioides.

Plants to 250 × 4 mm. Stem unbranched and sparingly branched; axillary hyaline nodules weak; central strand present. Leaves in as many as 25 pairs, often undulate, mostly lingulate, rounded to obtuse to broadly acute, sometimes apiculate, to 4 × 0.5 mm; dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending before or at insertion, not decurrent; vaginant laminae ¹/2-³/4 the leaf length, unequal, minor lamina of most leaves rounded and free distally, or narrowed distally and ending on or near costa; margin ± entire to crenulate-serrulate, sometimes unevenly so distally, elimbate except for a weak limbidium in the proximal parts of vaginant laminae, limbidial cells 1-stratose; costa ending several cells before apex, oblongifolius-type, distal part of leaf in transverse section showing enlarged cells arranged in a single row; laminal cells of dorsal and ventral laminae 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, lenticularly thickened but appearing bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, 7-12 µm long; juxtacostal and interior proximal cells of vaginant laminae 1-stratose, smooth, plane, quadrate to ± oblong, larger; medial marginal cells of vaginant laminae ± elongate, oriented obliquely. Sexual condition dioicous; perigonia and perichaetia on elongate stems; naked archegonia at times in axils of distal leaves. Sporophytes 1-2 per perichaetium, orange-red. Seta to 6 mm. Capsule theca ± erect, radially symmetric to slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, to 1.5 mm; peristome taxifolius-type; operculum ± as long as theca. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, 1-1.7 µm. Spores 7.5-12 µm.

Fissidens asplenioides Hedw. Sp. Muse. 156. 1801
Dicranum asplenioides Sw. Fl. Ind. Occ. 3: 1770. 1806.
Skitophyllum asplenioides Pylaie, Jour, de Bot. Desv. II. 4: 156. 1814.
Fissidens flabellatus Hornsch. in Mart. Fl. Bras. P: 91. 1840. (According to Fleischer.)
Fissidens turhinatus Tayl. Lond. Jour. Bot. 7: 190. 1848.
Fissidens ligulatus Hook. f. & Wils.; Hook, f . Fl, Nov. Zeland. 2: 63. 1854.
Fissidens nigricans Schimp.; Besch. Ann. Sci. Nat. VI. 3: 192. 1876.
Fissidens barbae-montis C. Mull.; Ren. & Card. Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. 311; 152. 1893. (According
to E. G. Britton.) Fissidens coslaricensis Besch. Bull. Herb. Boiss. 2: 390. 1894. (According to EG. Britton.) Fissidens linguaefolius C. Miill. in Ule, Bryoth. Brasil. 120. 1898. (According to Fleischer.) Fissidens santa-clarensis Th6r. Mem. Soc. Cub. Hist. Nat. 13: 209. 1939.
Plants bright green to yellowish, ascending to erect, the sterile plants up to 5 cm. (according to Fleischer), the fertile about 1 cm., mostly simple; leaves much broken below, 15 or more pairs, close or overlapping, ligulate-lingulate, recurved in one direction even when moistened, 2-2.5 X 0.33-0.4 mm., rounded-obtuse with often a slight apiculus, the margins plane, imbordered, and finely crenulate above by projecting cell-angles, the costa ending many cells below the apex, strongly bent at junction with vaginant laminae, more or less flexuous above; vaginant laminae unequal, one rounded nearly to the costa, extending beyojid the middle of the leaf; dorsal lamina usually rather wide and ending abruptly before reaching the stem; upper leaf-cells incrassate, often highly mamillose,'5-7 ju in diameter, irregular in size and shape, transversely elongate on the margins, the basal cells and a row near the costa larger, subquadrate, 10-14 ju; dioicous; antheridia terminal; seta 5-8 mm. long; capsule oblongcylindric, erect to horizontal, the urn up to 1.5 mm.; operculum rostrate, as long as the urn; annulus present; peristome-forks long and slender, papillose in more or less oblique lines.
Type locaIvITy: On mossy rocks of high mountains, Jamaica.
Distribution: Moist shaded rocks in elevated regions; West Indies; Central and South America; Sumatra; New Zealand; Tasmania; Africa; Java.

Fissidens asplenioides

Fissidens asplenioides Hedw., Sp. Musc. 156, 1801. [Original material: Jamaica, coll. Swartz, 1783–1787.]

Fissidens pycnotylus Broth. in Skottsb., Nat. Hist. Juan Fernandez 2:418, 1924. [Original material: Villagra, Mas a Tierra, ca. 600 m, coll. C. & I. Skottsberg n. 30 (S!).]

Plants in dense mats with stems to 3 cm long. Leaves in 10 or more pairs, 2–3 mm long, to 0.5 mm wide, oblong-lingulate, obtuse or bluntly acute, tips strongly curled when dry; vaginant lamina to 2/3 length of leaf, rounded at tip and ending near the costa; dorsal lamina tapering or rounded at base, ending distinctly above base of leaf; costa ending 4 or more cells below apex, rather sinuous distally; margin crenulate or serrulate, margin of vaginant lamina with many short, oblique, projecting cells; lamina cells 8–10 μm in diameter, rounded, mamillose, inner basal cells larger, to 15 or 20 μm, more subquadrate or polygonal, cells of vaginant lamina smooth. Seta 4–5 mm long. Peristome teeth papillose above. Spores 14–16 μm in diameter.

MAS AFUERA: Q. Casas, H. & E. 571; Q. Mono, H. & E. 659 in part; Q. Mono, near mouth, ca. 440 m, H. & E. 740b.

MAS A TIERRA: Villagra, ca. 600 m, Sk. 30 (type of F. pycnotylus, S).

The species is widely distributed, known from southeastern United States, West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, Indonesia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. The species has been reviewed by Crum and Anderson (1965), but two additional features of the vaginant laminae have been noted: the rounded, almost auriculate tips of the lesser lamina, and the tendency of the lesser laminae to be on different sides of the plant in the different rows of leaves. The type specimen of F. pycnotylus seems in no way distinct. Brotherus (1924) compared his species with F. maschalanthus, remarking that the costa was much thicker.