Conardia

Plants small, occasionally minute, light green or yellow. Stems irregularly branched, ± in one plane; hyalodermis absent, central strand present; paraphyllia absent; rhizoids or rhizoid initials on stem and abaxial costa or on lamina near leaf apex, often forming tomentum, strongly branched, warty-papillose; axillary hair distal cells 1–4, hyaline. Stem leaves erect to spreading, straight or slightly falcate, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, not plicate, 0.6–1.2 mm; base decurrent; margins plane or partly slightly incurved or recurved, finely denticulate, or often coarsely so near base, limbidia absent; apex acuminate, acumen plane or furrowed; costa single, ending in acumen, sometimes percurrent; alar cells differentiated, usually rectangular or sometimes quadrate, not inflated, region distinct but gradually delimited, transversely triangular; medial laminal cells linear or short-linear; marginal cells 1-stratose. Sexual condition autoicous. Capsule inclined, cylindric, slightly curved; peristome slightly reduced; exostome margins indistinctly dentate distally; endostome cilia usually 1 or 2. Spores 14–19 µm.

Distribution

North America, Mexico, Central America, Europe, Asia, Atlantic Islands (Iceland).

Discussion

Species 1.

Conardia has the appearance of a small Amblystegium, but can be distinguished by the warty-papillose, much branched rhizoids that are frequently inserted on the abaxial costa or near the leaf apex; rhizoids can mostly be found in the basal portions of at least some shoots. In addition, the distal parts of the axillary hairs consist of 1–4 cells that are shorter and broader than the 1 or 2 narrow and delicate ones found in Amblystegium. The capsule is only slightly curved rather than curved throughout as in Amblystegium species.

Selected References

Hedenäs, L. 1989d. On the taxonomic position of Conardia Robins. J. Bryol. 15: 779–783.

Lower Taxa

Conardia compacta