Haplodontium macrocarpum

Illustrator: Patricia M. Eckel

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Plants pale light green to pink-green, red-brown to brown proximally. Stems 0.5–3 cm, not julaceous, weakly to strongly branched. Leaves flexuose to weakly secund when dry, erect when moist, ovate to oblong or broadly lanceolate, 0.6–2 mm; margins narrowly revolute proximally; apex broadly acute to sometimes acuminate, apiculus absent or rarely present; costa subpercurrent to percurrent, rarely short-excurrent to excurrent in hair-point, pale tan-brown or red; laminal cells 40–120 × 10–18 µm; distal cells at apex elongate. Seta yellow-brown, 0.4–1.2 cm, curved to flexuose. Capsule erect to nutant, subglobose to short-pyriform, 1.3–2.5 mm; operculum flat to weakly convex, weakly apiculate; peristome single. Spores 12–20(–24) µm, smooth or finely papillose.

Phenology: Capsules mature Jul–Aug (summer).
Habitat: Damp to seepy rock faces, crevices, limestone, arctic-alpine
Elevation: low to high elevations (0-3500 m)

Distribution

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Greenland, Alta., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), Nunavut, Alaska, Colo., Mont., Utah, Eurasia (ne Russia).

Discussion

Although Haplodontium macrocarpum is associated with mineral-rich rock, collections come from a wide variety of rock types. In the southern and central Rocky Mountains, the species is apparently restricted to limestone. Some specimens from the Aleutian Islands have a strongly excurrent costa, and in some respects approach the Asian Mielichhoferia (Haplodontium) himalayana Mitten.

of conservation concern

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.