Status: Native
Synonyms:
Weissia latifolia Schwägrichen
Pottia latifolia Müller Hal.
Stegonia latifolia is a moss that grows at high elevation. It has leaves that are nearly round in shape
and that are crowded on a short stem. Stegonia latifolia grows alongside Bryum argenteum and can be easily
mistaken for that species. Stegonia latifolia however has no awn. When present, its erect sporophytes
with cuculate calyptrae easily differentiate Stegonia latifolia. Microscopically, Stegonia latifolia has
rudimentary peristome teeth that are divided into two segments shortly above the base. The leaf costa has
a well defined abaxial stereid band with no epidermis. Adaxially, the costa is covered by a few obviously
inflated cells. We found Stegonia latifolia var. latifolia growing mixed with other mosses on soil and elk dung between
rocks and gravel above the tree line at over 11,600 feet elevation.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Stegonia latifolia var. latifolia, macro of habit, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Kirsten Romig, Kelly Allred & Ron Wittman, San Miguel Cty., Pecos Wilderness near Cowles, top of Elk Mtn., August 5, 2015
Stegonia latifolia var. latifolia, macro of stems, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Kirsten Romig, Kelly Allred & Ron Wittman, San Miguel Cty., Pecos Wilderness near Cowles, top of Elk Mtn., August 5, 2015
Stegonia latifolia var. latifolia, macro of sporophytes, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Kirsten Romig, Kelly Allred & Ron Wittman, San Miguel Cty., Pecos Wilderness near Cowles, top of Elk Mtn., August 5, 2015
Stegonia latifolia var. latifolia, 200x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Kirsten Romig, Kelly Allred & Ron Wittman, San Miguel Cty., Pecos Wilderness near Cowles, top of Elk Mtn., August 5, 2015
Stegonia latifolia var. latifolia, 200x photomicrograph of rudimentary peristome, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Kirsten Romig, Kelly Allred & Ron Wittman, San Miguel Cty., Pecos Wilderness near Cowles, top of Elk Mtn., August 5, 2015
Stegonia latifolia var. latifolia, 400x photomicrograph of stem cross section (supposed to have a central strand, but quite weak in ours), photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Kirsten Romig, Kelly Allred & Ron Wittman, San Miguel Cty., Pecos Wilderness near Cowles, top of Elk Mtn., August 5, 2015
Stegonia latifolia var. latifolia, 400x photomicrograph of leaf cross section showing inflated cells adaxially on costal surface, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard, Kirsten Romig, Kelly Allred & Ron Wittman, San Miguel Cty., Pecos Wilderness near Cowles, top of Elk Mtn., August 5, 2015
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