| Fissidens usambaricus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Bryophyta |
| Class: | Bryopsida |
| Subclass: | Dicranidae |
| Order: | Dicranales |
| Family: | Fissidentaceae |
| Genus: | Fissidens |
| Species: | F. usambaricus |
| Binomial name | |
| Fissidens usambaricus | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Fissidens usambaricus is a species of moss belonging to the family Fissidentaceae. It is known from Sub-Saharan Africa, [2] where it is found in a variety of forest types. In Angola, it has been reported to grow in lowland rainforests. [3]
The species was formally described by the bryologist Viktor Ferdinand Brotherus in 1891. [4] The species was first described from a specimen collected by Wilhelm Holst (no. 3472) in Lutindi, Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, where it was found growing sparsely on forest floor soil. The lectotype specimen is housed at the University of Helsinki Herbarium (H), and was designated as such by Robert E. Magill in his 1981 treatment of South African mosses, though it had previously been annotated as a holotype. [5]
Fissidens usambaricus is a small moss species, typically growing to heights of 1.5 to 5 millimetres (mm), with a spread of 1.5 to 2.5 mm. [6] The stems are typically unbranched and bear their leaves in a pinnate arrangement. [7] The leaves lack a border (technically termed 'elimbate') and are shaped like an elongated oval or reverse teardrop, with a broadly pointed to rounded tip that sometimes has a tiny projection. Individual leaves measure 1.0 to 1.5 mm in length and 0.33 to 0.6 mm in width. [6]
A distinctive feature of this species is the absence of a central nerve (costa) in most leaves, though some reproductive leaves may show a very faint nerve extending just a few cells. The leaves are divided into different sections, with the clasping portion (vaginant laminae ) extending about halfway up the leaf length. [6] The leaves show little change when dry, unlike many other mosses that become twisted or curled. [7]
The cells that make up the leaves are remarkably large for a moss, measuring 42–75 by 15–36 micrometres (μm), with smaller cells (12–30 by 7.5–10.5 μm) around the edges. These cells are smooth and either flat or slightly bulging. [6] The variation in cell size is notable within this species, with some specimens showing significantly smaller cells than others. [7]
The reproductive structures of F. usambaricus can be male (perigonia), female (perichaetia), or both (synoecia), and are found at the tips of the stems. [6] The male structures (perigonia) are quite small, measuring 0.5–2.3 mm long, while the female and mixed structures are typically 3–5 mm tall. [7] When present, the spore capsules are borne on stalks (setae) 2.5–3 mm long, with up to three capsules emerging from each female structure. The capsules themselves are small (0.65 by 0.45 mm) and stand either upright or slightly tilted. Each capsule is topped by a lid (operculum) measuring 0.5–0.55 mm in length and contains spores 9–12 μm in size. [6] The spores can range from smooth to showing slight surface bumps (indistinctly papillose ). [7]
This species can be distinguished from similar mosses like Fissidens metzgeria and F. enervis by its lack of a leaf border, whereas these related species have clearly bordered leaves despite sharing the absence of a central nerve and large cell size. [6]
Fissidens usambaricus is endemic to Africa, where it shows a distinct preference for soil-based habitats, though it can occasionally be found growing on wooden debris, rock surfaces, [6] or termite mounds. The species is typically found on shady banks and road cuts, though it can also occur near waterfalls and on rocks in or along streams. The species grows at elevations ranging from 25 to 2,400 metres above sea level. [6] It grows in various forest types, including dry semi-deciduous forests, mesic montane forests, rainforest (lowland, submontane and montane), Afromontane forest, woodbush, and even Pinus plantations. [7]
In Uganda, the moss has been documented across several districts, including Kabale, Kabarole, Masindi, Rukungiri, and on Damba Island in Mukono District. Beyond Uganda, its range extends throughout various regions of sub-Saharan Africa, with confirmed populations in East African nations (Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda), Central Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic), West Africa (Nigeria and Cameroon), and southern Africa (South Africa and Eswatini, formerly Swaziland). The species has also been recorded in the Cape Verde archipelago off the west coast of Africa. [6] It typically grows scattered among other mosses, though it occasionally forms loose or dense mats. [7]
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophytasensu stricto. Bryophyta may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hornworts. Mosses typically form dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations. The individual plants are usually composed of simple leaves that are generally only one cell thick, attached to a stem that may be branched or unbranched and has only a limited role in conducting water and nutrients. Although some species have conducting tissues, these are generally poorly developed and structurally different from similar tissue found in vascular plants. Mosses do not have seeds and after fertilisation develop sporophytes with unbranched stalks topped with single capsules containing spores. They are typically 0.2–10 cm (0.1–3.9 in) tall, though some species are much larger. Dawsonia, the tallest moss in the world, can grow to 50 cm (20 in) in height. There are approximately 12,000 species.
The Marchantiophyta are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of genetic information. The division name was derived from the genus name Marchantia, named by French botanist Jean Marchant after his father.
Fissidens adianthoides, the maidenhair pocketmoss, is a North American moss in the family Fissidentaceae. It was first described by Johann Hedwig in 1801. The Nitinaht First Nations of Vancouver Island have used maidenhair moss to bandage wounds. It was named by the Anglo-Saxons based on its resemblance to pubic hair.
Polytrichum commune is a species of moss found in many regions with high humidity and rainfall. The species can be exceptionally tall for a moss with stems often exceeding 30 cm (12 in) and rarely reaching 70 cm (27.5 in), but it is most commonly found at shorter lengths of 5 to 10 cm. It is widely distributed throughout temperate and boreal latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and also found in Mexico, several Pacific Islands including New Zealand, and also in Australia. It typically grows in bogs, wet heathland and along forest streams. Additionally, class Polytrichopsida has been shown to thrive in partially open habitats that have been recently disturbed by human activities or even livestock.
Meesia triquetra, the three-ranked hump-moss, is a moss that occurs all around the northern hemisphere in higher latitudes.
Archidium elatum is a species of moss in the family Archidiaceae. It is native to New Zealand, where it occurs on the North Island and Chatham Island, and Australia, where it can be found in Queensland and New South Wales.
Fissidens hydropogon is a species of moss in the family Fissidentaceae. It is a critically endangered species endemic to Ecuador.
Spruceanthus theobromae is a species of liverwort in the family Lejeuneaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador, where it is the only liverwort species known to be endemic to the western foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes.
Tetraphidaceae is a family of mosses. It includes only the two genera Tetraphis and Tetrodontium, each with two species. The defining feature of the family is the 4-toothed peristome.
Sphagnum squarrosum, commonly known as the spiky bog-moss or spreading-leaved bog moss, is a peat moss species found in nutrient-rich, damp soils and wetlands across the Northern Hemisphere, with isolated populations in South America. Its spiky appearance, resulting from strongly spreading branch leaves, distinguishes it from other peat moss species. Playing an important role in wetland succession, the species is one of the first Sphagnum mosses to colonise developing wetlands. It shows considerable tolerance to mineral-rich conditions and actively modifies its habitat through cation exchange processes.
Hookeria lucens, the shining hookeria, is a species of moss in the family Hookeriaceae. It is native to Europe, east to the Caucasus, Turkey and China, as well as Scandinavia and the Faeroe Islands and western North America.
Pleurophascum grandiglobum is a moss endemic to Tasmania, Australia, and was first noted by S. O. Lindberg in 1875 for its peculiar form of cleistocarpous capsule, erect growth form, lateral perichaetia, and ecostate leaves. Its exceedingly large, inoperculate, and often brightly coloured capsules captured the heart of the 19th-century Scandinavian bryologist, who considered the moss to be "of no less interest to the Museologist than is Rafflesia or Welwitschia to the Phanerogamist". The species currently belongs to a monogeneric family Pleurophascaceae that is found only in temperate Australasia and includes three different species. Pleurophascum ovalifolium, heretofore known as P. grandiglobum var. decurrens, is the New Zealand taxon while the last remaining member of the genus, Pleurophascum occidentale, occurs only in Western Australia.
Seligeria cardotii is one of the two species in genus Seligeria, bryophytes of the Seligeriaceae family, in the Southern Hemisphere; an additional 19 species have been described in the Northern Hemisphere.
Dicranoloma dicarpum is relatively common moss which is widespread in the Southern Hemisphere. The genus Dicranoloma has 40 species, which share the features of long stems, wispy and twisted leaves, and large, erect capsules. The genus is dominant in wet forest habitats in Australia and New Zealand.
Fissidens limbatus commonly known as Herzog's pocket-moss, is a moss in the family Fissidentaceae. This species is found growing in high elevations in tropical America in addition to the US, Mexico and Canada. Montagne first collected F. crispus in 1838.
Tortula muralis, commonly known as wall-screw moss, is a species of moss in the family Pottiaceae. T. muralis is found throughout the world.
Ptychostomum pseudotriquetrum, commonly known as marsh bryum, is a species of moss belonging to the family Bryaceae. It is distinguished by its strongly decurrent leaves that extend down the stem, central leaf stalks which may extend slightly beyond the tip of the leaf, dioicy, and long stems densely matted with rhizoids. It is found worldwide, excluding the tropics.
Fissidens dubius, commonly known as the rock-pocket moss, is a species of moss belonging to the family Fissidentaceae. First described by Palisot de Beauvois in 1805 from material collected in Philadelphia, it is a relatively large moss growing up to 5 cm (2 in) tall that forms loose to dense mats on calcareous substrates. The species is characterised by its serrated leaf margins, pale border of thick-walled cells, and typically dioicous reproduction. It has a broad global distribution across Europe, North and South America, Asia, North Africa, and New Zealand, occurring in various habitats from lowlands to alpine zones, particularly in shaded locations on basic soils and rocks. While morphologically similar to F. adianthoides, F. dubius is distinguished by its smaller leaf cells and irregularly thickened leaf tips. The species is classified as Least Concern due to its stable populations and absence of major threats.
Fissidens taxifolius, the common pocket moss, is a species of moss in the family Fissidentaceae. First described by Johann Hedwig in 1801, it is a small to medium-sized moss that typically grows in dense, yellowish-green to dark green tufts. The species is characterised by its distinctive flattened appearance, with leaves arranged in two opposite rows resembling tiny fern fronds, and by its pointed leaf tips with projecting central nerves. It can grow in artificial light and is known to form extensive turfs in suitable conditions.
Fissidens celticus, also known by its common name Welsh pocket-moss, is a species of moss in the family Fissidentaceae. It was discovered in 1958 in Pembrokeshire by A.H. Norkett and was first described as a new species by Jean Paton in 1965.