Hygroamblystegium varium
Hedwigia 50: 275. 1911.
Plants in ± stiff mats, yellowish to dark green, dull. Stems to 15 cm, creeping, stiff, rigid; cortical cells in 2–4 layers, walls incrassate; axillary hair basal cell 1, brown, distal cells elongate. Stem leaves ovate-lanceolate to ovate-triangular; basal laminal cells short-rectangular, often pigmented, walls firm, eporose, region weakly differentiated; medial cells 2–7:1. Seta dark red, 1.2–2.2 cm. Capsule constricted below mouth when dry; exothecial cells long- to short-rectangular, 30–105 × 18–35 µm, walls firm, not collenchymatous; annulus separating, 2–4-seriate, cell walls thin; operculum acute, apiculate, or rostrate; exostome teeth yellow-brown, external surface cross striolate basally, coarsely papillose distally, internal surface trabeculate; endostome basal membrane high, segments not or narrowly perforate. Spores finely papillose.
Distribution
North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, Eurasia, s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Antarctica.
Discussion
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Plants small to moderately large; stems to 10 cm; costae narrower than 100 µm at base, to mid leaf, percurrent, or rarely short-excurrent; lamina 1-stratose. | Hygroamblystegium varium subsp. varium |
| 1 | Plants extremely large; stems to 15 cm; costae 110-140 µm wide at base, excurrent; lamina sometimes partially 2-stratose, especially at base near costa. | Hygroamblystegium varium subsp. noterophilum |