Status: Native
Synonyms:
Leucophanes leanum Sullivant
Campylopus leanus (Sullivant) Sullivant & Lesquereux
Leucobryum leanum (Sullivant) Kindberg
Syrrhopodon leanus (Sullivant) Lesquereux & James
Brothera leana is most easily recognized by its distinctive brood leaves in crowded clusters at the apex of the stems. These brood leaves are banana or boomerang shaped and substantially smaller than the stem leaves. The brood leaves break off very easily as a means of asexual reproduction. The long, thin stem leaves are notable for the costa which takes up nearly the entire width of the leaf. Indeed, it is possible to erroneously conclude that there is no costa at all on this account. Brothera leana is an acrocarpous moss found at middle elevation in Ponderosa forest. Many thanks to Kelly Allred of NMSU and Bruce Allen of the Missouri Botanical Garden for confirming our ID of this moss.
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Brothera leana, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 1x macro, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 40x photomicrograph of stem with brood leaves, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 100x photomicrograph of brood leaves in cluster, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 200x photomicrograph of brood leaves in cluster, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 40x photomicrograph of stem leaf on left and two brood leaves on right, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 40x photomicrograph of stem leaf on right and brood leaf on left, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 200x photomicrograph of single brood leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 100x photomicrograph of stem leaf base, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 200x photomicrograph of stem leaf base, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
Brothera leana, 400x photomicrograph of cross section of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kelly Allred, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak, November 18, 2010
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