Ptychostomum cryophilum

Plants in dense swelling turfs, red, red-green, or red-yellow. Stems 2–4(–6) cm, fertile stems comose, innovations evenly foliate. Leaves yellow-green to pink or red, dark red-brown with age, somewhat distant, older leaves ± imbricate, younger leaves strongly contorted to shrunken when dry, ovate, strongly concave, 0.5–3 mm, not much enlarged toward stem apex; base green, weakly decurrent; margins plane or weakly revolute in proximal 1/4, limbidium strong, in 2 or 3 rows; apex obtuse; costa percurrent or sometimes not reaching apex, apiculus absent; proximal laminal cells rectangular, 3–4:1; medial and distal cells irregular, 15–22(–25) µm wide, 2–3:1, walls thin. Specialized asexual reproduction absent. Sexual condition dioicous. Seta red, 2–4 cm, slender, straight to somewhat flexuose. Capsule yellow-brown to brown, ovate to obovate, symmetric, 2–4 mm, mouth yellow-brown; operculum conic, weakly apiculate; peristome well developed; exostome teeth yellow-brown, lamellae straight, pores absent near base along mid line; endostome not adherent to exostome, basal membrane 1/2–2/3 exostome height, segments with ovate perforations, cilia long, appendiculate. Spores 16–20 µm, pale yellow.

Phenology: Capsules mature Jul–Aug.
Habitat: Wet soil, rock in streams, wetlands, late melting snow beds
Elevation: low to high elevations (0-2000 m)

Distribution

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Greenland, Alta., B.C., N.W.T., Nunavut, Yukon, Alaska, Eurasia (arctic regions, India, Mongolia, Nepal).

Discussion

Ptychostomum cryophilum is distinguished by the densely compact red turfs, ovate concave leaves, and weak costae. The costae are red; the proximal laminal cells are narrower than the more distal cells.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.