Status: Native
Synonyms:
Gymnostomum subsessile Bridel
Pterygoneurum subsessile is a minute moss found in sand and in soil crusts.
When dry, nearly all that is visible of the moss are the toothed hairpoints that can be several times as long as the leaf lamina.
The most striking microscopic feature of Pterygoneurum subsessile are the plates of photosynthetic tissue that arise anteriorly
from the costa. These plates form a darker medial zone to the leaves tapering to the base when seen at low power.
There are no obvious papillae. When present, the capsules are immersed and are visible as small red spheres among the leaves.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of dry habit, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred, Cibola Cty., El Malpais National Monument, El Calderon area in soil crust, April 20, 2017
Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of wetted stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred, Cibola Cty., El Malpais National Monument, El Calderon area in soil crust, April 20, 2017
Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of wetted stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred, Cibola Cty., El Malpais National Monument, El Calderon area in soil crust, April 20, 2017
Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred, Cibola Cty., El Malpais National Monument, El Calderon area in soil crust, April 20, 2017
Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of leaves, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred, Cibola Cty., El Malpais National Monument, El Calderon area in soil crust, April 20, 2017
Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of costal lamellae with leaf apex to lower left, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred, Cibola Cty., El Malpais National Monument, El Calderon area in soil crust, April 20, 2017
Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of distal leaf cells and costal lamellae, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred, Cibola Cty., El Malpais National Monument, El Calderon area in soil crust, April 20, 2017
Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of cross section of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred, Cibola Cty., El Malpais National Monument, El Calderon area in soil crust, April 20, 2017
Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of cross section of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred, Cibola Cty., El Malpais National Monument, El Calderon area in soil crust, April 20, 2017
The pix below are labeled with an asterix (*). These pix are of sterile shoots that may be either P. subsessile or S. ovatum.
*Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of moist habit, photo Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Garrett Hall & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty., City of Rocks State Park, top of Table Mtn. in soil crust, November 1, 2015
*Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of moist habit, photo Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Garrett Hall & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty., City of Rocks State Park, top of Table Mtn. in soil crust, November 1, 2015
*Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of single plant, photo Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Garrett Hall & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty., City of Rocks State Park, top of Table Mtn. in soil crust, November 1, 2015
*Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of two leaves, photo Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Garrett Hall & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty., City of Rocks State Park, top of Table Mtn. in soil crust, November 1, 2015
*Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of single leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Garrett Hall & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty., City of Rocks State Park, top of Table Mtn. in soil crust, November 1, 2015
*Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of apex of leaf (lateral) showing photosynthetic plates, photo Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Garrett Hall & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty., City of Rocks State Park, top of Table Mtn. in soil crust, November 1, 2015
*Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of isolated photosynthetic plates, photo Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Garrett Hall & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty., City of Rocks State Park, top of Table Mtn. in soil crust, November 1, 2015
*Pterygoneurum subsessile, photomicrograph of apex of leaf from above, photo Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Garrett Hall & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty., City of Rocks State Park, top of Table Mtn. in soil crust, November 1, 2015
Back to the Index