Status: Native
Synonyms:
Timmia bavarica Hessl.
Timmia megapolitana Hedw. ssp. bavarica (Hessl.) Brass.
Timmia megapolitana is recognized in the Gila by its large leaves that are coarsely serrate in the free portion of the leaf and entire in the sheathing part of the leaf. The leaves are generally 4-5mm long (and generally won't fit into a photomicrograph, so the whole leaves shown here are smaller than the average.) In addition, in cross section the adaxial (upper) leaf surface is bulging mammillose while the abaxial (lower) surface is not. The costa has a single row of large guide cells, with two well developed stereid bands. The costa is sometimes papillose on the abaxial surface as can be noted here. The cells of the sheathing part of the leaf are elongate and brown or colorless, while the cells of the free part of the leaf are irregularly isodiametric and green. Timmia megapolitana is found at upper elevation in mixed conifer forest growing on soil under rocks as loose aggregations or individual stems.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Timmia megapolitana, 3x macro of dry stems, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, FR 150 (Northstar Road), Rocky Canyon, November 21, 2012
Timmia megapolitana, 40x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, FR 150 (Northstar Road), Rocky Canyon, November 21, 2012
Timmia megapolitana, 40x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, FR 150 (Northstar Road), Rocky Canyon, November 21, 2012
Timmia megapolitana, 400x photomicrograph of cross section of costa and portion of lamina, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, FR 150 (Northstar Road), Rocky Canyon, November 21, 2012
Timmia megapolitana, 100x photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, FR 150 (Northstar Road), Rocky Canyon, November 21, 2012
Timmia megapolitana, 400x photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, FR 150 (Northstar Road), Rocky Canyon, November 21, 2012
Timmia megapolitana, 200x photomicrograph of sheathing portion of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, FR 150 (Northstar Road), Rocky Canyon, November 21, 2012
Timmia megapolitana, 400x photomicrograph at mid lamina, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, FR 150 (Northstar Road), Rocky Canyon, November 21, 2012
Timmia megapolitana, 200x photomicrograph of cross section of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, FR 150 (Northstar Road), Rocky Canyon, November 21, 2012
Timmia megapolitana, photomicrograph of cross section of stem with distinct central strand, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Kelly Allred & Laura Baumann, El Malpais, Classic Cave skylight, April 16, 2018
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