Status: Native
Synonyms:
Leptodontium flexifolium (With.) Hampe var. americanum (Grout) Grout
Leptodontium orcuttii E.B. Bartram
Zygodon gracilis sensu Grout
Zygodon gracilis Wilson var. americanus Grout
Leptodontium flexifolium is an acrocarpous moss with oblanceolate leaves that have slender teeth along the margin in the upper 1/2 of each leaf. The leaf margins are recurved in the lower part of the leaf. The leaf cells are pluripapillose wiht 4-8 C-shaped papillae above the basal cells which are rectanglar. The leaf axils can be heavily loaded with club-shaped brood bodies that break off of stalks to disperse. The stem of this moss has no central strand, but does have thickened small cells along the outer margin. Leptodontium flexifolium is found at middle to upper elevation growing on rotting wood in canyons with perennial water in the Gila.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Leptodontium flexifolium, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 3x macro of leaf (dry), photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 100x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 100x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 100x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 400x photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 400x photomicrograph of leaf base, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 400x photomicrograph of cells at mid lamina, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 200x photomicrograph of brood bodies, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 400x photomicrograph of brood bodies, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 400x photomicrograph of brood bodies, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 400x photomicrograph of stem cross section, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 200x photomicrograph of leaf cross section, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 200x photomicrograph of leaf cross section, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
Leptodontium flexifolium, 400x photomicrograph of leaf cross section, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Black Range, Railroad Canyon, January 26, 2012
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