Status: Native
Synonyms:
Tortula rhizophylla (Sakurai) Z. Iwats. & K. Saito
Tortula vectensis E.F. Warb. & Crundw.
Phascum leptophyllum Müll. Hal.
and others
Chenia leptophylla is a smaller moss, with leaves that are about 2mm in length and stems quite short,
usually less than 1cm tall. C. leptophylla resembles the genus Tortula in leaf shape,
lack of papillae, lack of basal windows and cell morphology. One of the most useful traits
is the abundance of rhizoidal tubers which vary in size from just a few microns to a few hundred microns
in largest dimension. Dan Norris collected the Australian specimen we photographed here, and it
has amazing rhizoids that originate on the costa near the leaf apex, and even these rhizoids produce
tubers! These foliar rhizoidal tubers may be lacking in North American specimens. The leaf apex sometimes has a long, thick walled apicular cell that is helpful for ID,
but it is lacking is many leaves. The leaf cross section in unusual in the small number (usually
less than 10) cells that make up the costa. C. leptophylla is reportedly red in KOH, but our specimen was unevenly colored orange
to pink to dark red.
Many thanks to the University of Colorado Herbarium (COLO), Erin Tripp, and Dina Clark for permitting
us to photograph this specimen.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Chenia leptophylla, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, moistened habit, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of stem, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, dark field photomicrograph of stem-- note abundant red-brown rhizoidal tubers, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of leaf on stem, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of leaf, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of leaf, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of leaf apex, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of leaf apex, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of laminal cells, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of laminal cells in KOH, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of leaf with foliar rhizoidal tubers, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, dark field photomicrograph of leaf with foliar rhizoidal tubers, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of leaf cross section, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
Chenia leptophylla, photomicrograph of leaf cross section, collection and ID Dan Norris, Australia, Queensland, SW of Kingaroy, Bunya Mtns. National Park, along trail from Burton's Well to Mt. Kiangarow, March 8, 1974; photos by Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, March 1, 2023
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