Didymodon australasiae

(Hooker & Greville) R. H. Zander

Phytologia 41: 21. 1978,.

Basionym: Tortula australasiae Hooker & Greville Edinburgh J. Sci. 1: 301, plate 12. 1824
Synonyms: Didymodon diaphanobasis Cardot Husnotiella torquescens (Cardot) E. B. Bartram Trichostomopsis australasiae (Hooker & Greville) H. Robinson Trichostomopsis brevifolia E. B. Bartram Trichostomopsis diaphanobasis (Cardot) Grout Trichostomopsis fayae Grout
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 547. Mentioned on page 539, 543, 555, 561.

Plants usually blackish green. Stems to 1(–1.5) cm, central strand present. Stem leaves spreading-incurved and twisted to incurved-appressed when dry, spreading to spreading-recurved and not keeled when moist, monomorphic, short-lanceolate or sometimes short-ovate to long-elliptic, broadly concave adaxially across leaf, usually 1–2.5 mm, base scarcely differentiated in shape to ovate, margins usually recurved at mid leaf, entire, apex broadly acute or occasionally narrowly so, not fragile; costa percurrent or ending a few cells below the apex, broader at mid leaf, occasionally weakly spurred, with a low adaxial pad of cells, adaxial costal cells quadrate, 4–6 cells wide at mid leaf, guide cells in 1–2 layers; basal laminal cells differentiated medially or across leaf, quadrate to short-rectangular, walls very thin and not perforated; distal laminal cells 7–12 wide, 1:1 or occasionally transversely elongate below, papillae usually distinct, low or simple to 2-fid, occasionally absent, lumens oval to rounded-quadrate, walls thin to evenly thickened, convex on both sides of lamina, 2-stratose in one or more rows along margins. Specialized asexual reproduction by multicellular tubers on proximal rhizoids. Seta 0.7–1 cm. Capsule 1–1.9 mm; peristome teeth 32, linear, weakly twisted, to 600 µm, occasionally rudimentary. Spores 11–15 µm. Distal laminal KOH reaction variously negative or yellow- or orange- or red-brown.


Phenology: Capsules mature winter–spring.
Habitat: Soil, gypsum, acid rock, ledges, sandstone, silt
Elevation: moderate to high elevations (300-2000 m)

Distribution

V27 783-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Calif., Colo., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Tex., Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, n, s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

In North American Didymodon, hydroids are found in the costae of D. anserinocapitatus, D. australasiae, D. nevadensis, D. norrisii, D. umbrosus, D. revolutus, and D. vinealis, and in these species the adaxial stereid band is usually absent in well developed specimens. Intergrades exist between D. australasiae and D. umbrosus, but the extreme forms are common and quite distinctive.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Didymodon australasiae"
Richard H. Zander +
(Hooker & Greville) R. H. Zander +
Tortula australasiae +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, Oreg. +, Tex. +, Mexico +, Central America +, South America +, Europe +, n +, s Africa +, Pacific Islands (New Zealand) +  and Australia. +
moderate to high elevations (300-2000 m) +
Soil, gypsum, acid rock, ledges, sandstone, silt +
Capsules mature winter–spring. +
Didymodon diaphanobasis +, Husnotiella torquescens +, Trichostomopsis australasiae +, Trichostomopsis brevifolia +, Trichostomopsis diaphanobasis +  and Trichostomopsis fayae +
Didymodon australasiae +
Didymodon +
species +