Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

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

Dicranum muehlenbeckii Bruch & Schimper

Family: Dicranaceae

Status: Native

Synonyms:
None

Dicranum muehlenbeckii has more "curly-Q" leaves than the very similar D. acutifolium. The adaxial layer of epidermal costal cells are differentiated in that they are noticeably larger than the underlying cells of the adaxial stereid band-- a very helpful difference from D. acutifolium which has undifferentiated adaxial costal cells. This character of course requires technical skill at cross sectioning moss leaves to be useful.

Many thanks to the University of Colorado Herbarium (COLO), Erin Tripp, & Dina Clark for permitting us to photograph this specimen!

Please click on an image for a larger file.




Dicranum muehlenbeckii, collection Steven P. Churchill, ID Kelly Allred (2023), South Dakota, Custer County, Cicero Peak on soil covered rock, May 19, 1977; photos by Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Stacey Anderson & Ron Wittmann, January 19, 2023



Dicranum muehlenbeckii, apex of stems, collection Steven P. Churchill, ID Kelly Allred (2023), South Dakota, Custer County, Cicero Peak on soil covered rock, May 19, 1977; photos by Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Stacey Anderson & Ron Wittmann, January 19, 2023



Dicranum muehlenbeckii, dark field photomicrograph of leaf, collection Steven P. Churchill, ID Kelly Allred (2023), South Dakota, Custer County, Cicero Peak on soil covered rock, May 19, 1977; photos by Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Stacey Anderson & Ron Wittmann, January 19, 2023



Dicranum muehlenbeckii, dark field photomicrograph of leaf, collection Steven P. Churchill, ID Kelly Allred (2023), South Dakota, Custer County, Cicero Peak on soil covered rock, May 19, 1977; photos by Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Stacey Anderson & Ron Wittmann, January 19, 2023



Dicranum muehlenbeckii, photomicrograph of leaf apex, collection Steven P. Churchill, ID Kelly Allred (2023), South Dakota, Custer County, Cicero Peak on soil covered rock, May 19, 1977; photos by Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Stacey Anderson & Ron Wittmann, January 19, 2023



Dicranum muehlenbeckii, photomicrograph of leaf base, collection Steven P. Churchill, ID Kelly Allred (2023), South Dakota, Custer County, Cicero Peak on soil covered rock, May 19, 1977; photos by Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Stacey Anderson & Ron Wittmann, January 19, 2023



Dicranum muehlenbeckii, photomicrograph of cells at mid lamina, collection Steven P. Churchill, ID Kelly Allred (2023), South Dakota, Custer County, Cicero Peak on soil covered rock, May 19, 1977; photos by Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Stacey Anderson & Ron Wittmann, January 19, 2023



Dicranum muehlenbeckii, photomicrograph of leaf cross section, collection Steven P. Churchill, ID Kelly Allred (2023), South Dakota, Custer County, Cicero Peak on soil covered rock, May 19, 1977; photos by Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Stacey Anderson & Ron Wittmann, January 19, 2023


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