Leskea obscura
Sp. Musc. Frond., 223, plate 57, figs. 1 – 9. 1801.
Plants dark green or brownish. Stems with branches spreading, loosely foliate, not curved at apices. Stem and branch leaves similar. Stem leaves occasionally very slightly plicate, not much longer than broad, 0.9–1.2 mm; apex rounded-obtuse to sometimes acute or short-acuminate. Branch leaves remote, elliptic or broadly oblong-ovate, not plicate, 0.4–0.8 mm; margins erect, not revolute, slightly incurved when dry; apex rounded-obtuse; costa ending 8–10 cells before apex; distal laminal cells 6–9 µm, indistinctly bulging-papillose abaxially. Seta yellow to orange-brown, 0.5–1.2 cm. Capsule yellow-brown, oblong-cylindric, straight, 1.5–2.3 mm; annulus 2- or 3-seriate; operculum rounded-conic, blunt; exostome teeth yellow; endostome segments less than 1/3 exostome teeth length. Spores 11–18 µm, very finely papillose.
Phenology: Capsules mature Mar–Nov.
Habitat: Base and lower trunks of hardwood trees, bald cypress, pine, logs, flood plains, rock
Elevation: low to moderate elevations (20-400 m)
Distribution
Alta., Man., Ont., Que., Ala., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Wis.
Discussion
Leskea obscura is more common in eastern North America. Leskea obscura is distinguished from L. gracilescens by its smooth, concave, blunt, rounded-obtuse leaves with erect margins, exostome teeth 0.2–0.3 mm, longer than endostome segments, and operculum that is distinctly blunt.
Selected References
None.