Mosses of New Mexico Outside of the Gila Wilderness

Presented in Association with the
Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences

Andreaea rupestris Hedwig

Family: Andreaeaceae

Status: Native

Synonyms:
Andreaea alpestris (Thedenius) Schimper
Andreaea parvifolia Müller Hal.
Andreaea alpestris var. acuminata (Schimper) Sharp
Andreaea rupestris var. alpestris (Thedenius) Sharp
Andreaea rupestris var. papillosa (Lindberg) Podpĕra
Andreaea rupestris var. sparsifolia (Zetterstedt) Sharp
Andreaea rupestris var. sublaevis Kindberg

Andreaea rupestris is a reddish- to brownish-black moss that can form inconspicuous confluent small tufts or larger turfs on rocks at higher elevation in New Mexico. When wet, the capsule is closed and cigar-shaped with slits that are visible but not open. As the moss dries, the capsule opens along the vertical slits into the typical Chinese lantern configuration. The ovate leaves have no costa and the leaf margins are entire. The laminal cells have single large, rounded clear papillae on the abaxial surface. We found Andreaea rupestris in New Mexico at the Taos Ski Valley.
Please click on an image for a larger file.



Andreaea rupestris, confluent dark tufts among bright green tufts of Dicranum on rock, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015



Andreaea rupestris, forming a larger dark turf on a different rock with Dicranum off to the side, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015



Andreaea rupestris, 3x macro of wet habit, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015



Andreaea rupestris, 5x macro of wet habit, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015



Andreaea rupestris, 5x macro of dry habit-- note open capsules, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015



Andreaea rupestris, 5x macro of open (dry) capsule, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015



Andreaea rupestris, 100x photomicrograph of wet stem, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015



Andreaea rupestris, 200x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015



Andreaea rupestris, 200x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015



Andreaea rupestris, 400x photomicrograph of leaf cross section with abaxial papillae, photo Karen Blisard & Russ Kleinman, Taos Cty., Taos Ski Area, Carson National Forest, August 6, 2015


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