Philonotis caespitosa

Philonotis caespitosa Jur., Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 11: 234. 1862.
Type: specimen of Wilson (Bartramia caespitosa WILSON in sched., BM!); Tatragebirge, in der Alpenregion auf feuchtem Kalkfelsen bei 5000' leg. S.v.Bosniacky (BP 43820! ex herb. Limpricht, named as P.alpicola JUR., is P. tomentella); Zelleralpen in Steiermark, leg. v. Hildenbrand, herb. W (not seen); Gasteiner Moosen, leg. Preuer (M!, is P. tomentella).

Description:
Plants medium-sized; usually in loose, 1-5(10) cm high tufts. Stems (0,4)0,5-1 mm wide, sometimes producing deciduous branches. Leaves secund, up to 1,7 mm long, flat; ovate-lanceolate, shortly to longly acuminate; margin plane or narrowly recurved, with double teeth in lower part and mostly single teeth in upper part. Stem leaves beneath gametangia straight to secund, plicate. Costa narrow, mostly shortly excurrent. Lower leaf cells 20-40 × 9-12 um, slightly narrower to narrower towards apex. Papillae can be shifted towards middle cell in poorly developed leaves.

Dioicous, perichaetia discoid. Perichaetial leaves triangular, acute to acutish. Seta straight. Capsules rare, inclined, furrowed when dry. Peristome double, exostome with interlamellary thickenings. Spores 20-28 um.

Ecology:
In sandpits, pool margins, ditches, mires, on wet soil in pastures. Reported also from heathlands and over rocks, acidophyte-neutrophyte. Often together with P. fontana. From lowlands to lower mountains.

Distribution:
Europe; Asia: N, Middle, SW; Africa: N, NE, Azores, The Canary Islands; North America: Canada, Greenland.

Variation:
In size and papillae position in poorly developed leaves.

Possible confusions:
P. fontana (plicate, abruptly acuminate leaves with broad base - hybridization suggested by Buryová 2004), P. tomentella (leaves usually not secund, narrower cells), P. calcarea (see note under that species).

Exssicates:
Bauer-Musci Europaei Exsiccati 459 [BP];
Ochyra et Bednarek-Ochyra-Musci Poloniae Exsiccati no. 754 [BP].

<---- TOP