Tetraplodon paradoxus

(R. Brown) I. Hagen

Nyt Mag. Naturvidensk. 38: 332. 1901.

Selected by author to be illustrated
Basionym: Splachnum paradoxum R. Brown Chlor. Melvill., 44. 1823
Synonyms: Tetraplodon mnioides var. paradoxus (R. Brown) Jensen
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 28. Treatment on page 21. Mentioned on page 23.
Revision as of 19:44, 24 September 2019 by FNA>Volume Importer

Plants 2–4 cm, light green or yellow-green. Leaves ovate, concave, 2–5 mm; margins entire or nearly so; apex acuminate; costa ending in subula; distal laminal cells hexagonal, 30 µm. Sexual condition autoicous. Seta clear pale yellow to stramineous, 2–3.5 cm. Capsule cleistocarpous, clear pale yellow to stramineous, spindle- or club-shaped; hypophysis conspicuously narrower than urn; stomata confined to distal hypophysis; operculum not developed. Calyptra cucullate or conic-mitrate. Spores 9 µm, smooth.


Phenology: Capsules mature summer.
Habitat: Caribou or muskox dung
Elevation: moderate to high elevations

Distribution

V28 13-distribution-map.gif

Greenland, N.W.T., Nunavut, Yukon, Alaska, n Europe (Arctic Russia).

Discussion

Tetraplodon paradoxus is much confused in the literature with T. pallidus (W. C. Steere 1977), although the two are easily distinguished. Tetraplodon paradoxus is cleistocarpous, the setae are longer (to twice as long), leaves smaller and more narrow, and capsules are darker and spindle- or club-shaped, with the hypophysis noticeably narrower than the urn and having fewer stomata. Steere suggested that spore dispersal to fresh dung might occur when the sporophytes are ingested by caribou or muskoxen and the spores subsequently dropped in dung at some other location.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Tetraplodon paradoxus"
Paul C. Marino +
(R. Brown) I. Hagen +
Splachnum paradoxum +
Greenland +, N.W.T. +, Nunavut +, Yukon +, Alaska +  and n Europe (Arctic Russia). +
moderate to high elevations +
Caribou or muskox dung +
Capsules mature summer. +
Nyt Mag. Naturvidensk. +
Illustrated +
Tetraplodon mnioides var. paradoxus +
Tetraplodon paradoxus +
Tetraplodon +
species +