Status: Native
Synonyms:
None
Fontinalis neomexicana is a rather large moss than can grow up to 3 feet long submerged in moving water attached to boulders in creeks and streams. The leaves are keeled-- they lay on the side on a slide and are folded along the middle longitudinally such that the two halves of the leaves overlap each other. F. neomexicana is similar to F. antipyretica which is also common in the same area. F. neomexicana has a long pointed ends to the growing stem tips (long acuminate stem tips), while F. antipyretica lacks this feature. Also, and a bit more subtle, the keel (edge where the fold is) is nearly straight above the base in F. neomexicana. The keel is curved along its entire length in F. antipyretica. The leaf cells of Fontinalis species are linear. Fontinalis neomexicana is generally found in higher elevation creeks coursing through mixed conifer forest.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Fontinalis neomexicana, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, San Miguel County, Holy Ghost Canyon near Cowles submerged in creek, July 29, 2019
Fontinalis neomexicana, single stem with acuminate tip, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, San Miguel County, Holy Ghost Canyon near Cowles submerged in creek, July 29, 2019
Fontinalis neomexicana, acuminate stem tip, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, San Miguel County, Holy Ghost Canyon near Cowles submerged in creek, July 29, 2019
Fontinalis neomexicana, folded leaf (conduplicate) with arrow pointing to keel which is mostly straight above the base in this moss compared to F. antipyretica, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, San Miguel County, Holy Ghost Canyon near Cowles submerged in creek, July 29, 2019
Fontinalis neomexicana, folded leaf (conduplicate) with arrow pointing to keel which is mostly straight above the base in this moss compared to F. antipyretica, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, San Miguel County, Holy Ghost Canyon near Cowles submerged in creek, July 29, 2019
Fontinalis neomexicana, detail of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, San Miguel County, Holy Ghost Canyon near Cowles submerged in creek, July 29, 2019
Fontinalis neomexicana, detail of leaf base, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, San Miguel County, Holy Ghost Canyon near Cowles submerged in creek, July 29, 2019
Fontinalis neomexicana, linear leaf cells, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, San Miguel County, Holy Ghost Canyon near Cowles submerged in creek, July 29, 2019
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