Plants of the Gila Wilderness

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

Rosulabryum flaccidum (Bridel) J.R. Spence

Family: Bryaceae

Status: Native

Synonyms:
Bryum flaccidum Bridel

Rosulabryum flaccidum is not common in New Mexico. When dry, the leaves are not tightly and evenly spirally wrapped around the stem. The leaves are ovate to oblanceolate with a mostly entire distal margin. The basal cells are rectangular. Apparently there are usually filiform gemmae in the leaf axils, but they can be absent as in our specimen. There are multicellular spherical rhizoidal gemmae, also known as rhizoidal tubers, present. These rhizoidal tubers measure approximately 150-300 microns across and are orange when wet and red-brown when dry. They have a honey-comb pattern of cells walls visible on the surface when wet or dry in adequate light. We found Rosulabryum flaccidum in seasonally wet soil in an otherwise very arid location at lower elevation.
Please click on an image for a larger file.



Rosulabryum flaccidum, macro of dry habit (with Bryum lanatum P. Beauvois), photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, macro of dry habit (with Bryum lanatum P. Beauvois), photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, macro of wet habit, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, dark field photomicrograph of 3 wet stems, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, photomicrograph of leaf base, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, low power photomicrograph of typical appearance of wet rhizoidal tubers, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, higher power photomicrograph of wet rhizoidal tuber, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016



Rosulabryum flaccidum, higher power photomicrograph of wet rhizoidal tuber, photo Russ Kleinman, Kelly Allred & Karen Blisard, Tres Hermanas, February 26, 2016


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