Pseudoleskea stenophylla

Illustrator: Patricia M. Eckel

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Plants small, in thin open to thick mats, green or yellow-green. Stems with branches slender, not or rarely julaceous, apices straight to rarely curving up; central strand present; paraphyllia many, filamentous to foliose, not branched. Leaves appressed to somewhat erect when dry, erect-spreading when moist, glossy, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, symmetric, not or rarely falcate except at apices, 0.9–2 mm; margins recurved to just before acumen; apex gradually and slenderly long-acuminate, hair-point absent; costa percurrent, green to yellow-green, not sinuate; alar cells transversely elongate to quadrate, region small; medial laminal cells elongate-rhomboidal to fusiform or somewhat vermicular, to 30 µm, 2–3(–4):1, pellucid, strongly papillose over lumen, papillae usually off-centered to distal edge, rarely some cells prorate, walls firm to incrassate, not pitted; juxtacostal cells somewhat shorter than more distal cells, walls not pitted. Capsule erect, symmetric, 1–3 mm; endostome basal membrane 1/4 exostome length, segments shorter than exostome, cilia absent or rudimentary. Spores 16–20 µm.

Phenology: Capsules mature spring–summer (May–Aug).
Habitat: Twigs and branches of shrubs or small trees, tree bases of Acer or Alnus, along streams
Elevation: moderate to high elevations (500-2100 m)

Distribution

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Alta., B.C., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Que., Alaska, Calif., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Utah, Wash., w Eurasia.

Discussion

Pseudoleskea stenophylla is distinguished by small plants growing on bark and twigs of shrubs and trees, leaves with a long, slender acumen half the leaf length, and elongate laminal cells with papillae over the lumen but usually off-centered.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.