Status: Native
Synonyms:
Phascum cuspidatum Hedwig
Tortula acaulon is a spring ephemeral moss. It has no stem, and the capsules are round to oval and sit enclosed within the leaves of these diminutive plants.
These capsules have no operculum or peristome. They eventually rupture open irregularly as the capsule ages.
The length of the hairpoint on the leaves varies considerably as does the degree to which the leaves are papillose. The leaf cells are square to hexagonal, except at the base where they are rectangular. The leaf margins
are curled back (recurved) to a varying degree. Although the description in FNA says that T. acaulon lacks an adaxial pad of cells, our specimens seem to have one.
The spores on our specimens are also less papillose than expected. We found our specimen on small areas of gravel on open bedrock in the Burro Mountains at about 6,500 feet elevation.
Here are photos of Kelly Allred's collection of T. acaulon from the Taos area.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Tortula acaulon, macro dry, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, macro dry, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, macro dry, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, macro of dry stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, dark field wet mount photomicrograph of stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, reflected light dry photomicrograph of stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, macro of single plant with leaves dissected away to show short seta, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, dark field wet mount photomicrograph of stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, photomicrograph of capsule, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, photomicrograph of leaf cross section, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
Tortula acaulon, photomicrograph of spores, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant Cty, Burro Mtns., Tyrone-Thompson Rd. just passed Deadman Canyon, April 3, 2017
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