Status: Native
Synonyms:
Moenkemeyera littlei Williams
Fissidens littlei is an extraordinarily rare and minute moss found only in a single locality in south central New Mexico. It has no limbidium,
although the marginal cells are somewhat lighter in color than the central laminal cells and transversely elongate. The margins are entire but the cells at the margin bulge and
give the appearance of undulation at high power. The costa fails a few cells short of the apiculus. The lamina is one stratose and the cells are
irregularly hexagonal. Fissidens littlei is the only moss that has rare plant status with the New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Council.
Many thanks to the Jornada Experimental Range Herbarium for permitting us to photograph this specimen!
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Fissidens littlei, dry on sand, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred (Feb. 3, 2017), collected by Elbert L. Little Jr., Jornada Experimental Range on wall of gypsum sink, October 27, 1934
Fissidens littlei, dry on sand, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred (Feb. 3, 2017), collected by Elbert L. Little Jr., Jornada Experimental Range on wall of gypsum sink, October 27, 1934
Fissidens littlei, dry on sand, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred (Feb. 3, 2017), collected by Elbert L. Little Jr., Jornada Experimental Range on wall of gypsum sink, October 27, 1934
Fissidens littlei, photomicrograph of wet mount of stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred (Feb. 3, 2017), collected by Elbert L. Little Jr., Jornada Experimental Range on wall of gypsum sink, October 27, 1934
Fissidens littlei, dark field photomicrograph of wet mount of stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred (Feb. 3, 2017), collected by Elbert L. Little Jr., Jornada Experimental Range on wall of gypsum sink, October 27, 1934
Fissidens littlei, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred (Feb. 3, 2017), collected by Elbert L. Little Jr., Jornada Experimental Range on wall of gypsum sink, October 27, 1934
Fissidens littlei, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred (Feb. 3, 2017), collected by Elbert L. Little Jr., Jornada Experimental Range on wall of gypsum sink, October 27, 1934
Fissidens littlei, photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred (Feb. 3, 2017), collected by Elbert L. Little Jr., Jornada Experimental Range on wall of gypsum sink, October 27, 1934
Fissidens littlei, photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman & Kelly Allred (Feb. 3, 2017), collected by Elbert L. Little Jr., Jornada Experimental Range on wall of gypsum sink, October 27, 1934
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