Odontoschisma prostratum (Sw.) Trevis.

  • Authority

    Fulford, Margaret H. 1968. Manual of the leafy Hepaticae of Latin America--Part III. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 11: 277-392.

  • Family

    Cephaloziaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Odontoschisma prostratum (Sw.) Trevis.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Plants of small to medium size, pale green becoming brownish, rarely reddish, prostrate with some ascending tips, in mats or creeping among other bryophytes, stems to 3 cm or more long, with leaves to 1.5 mm wide, sparingly branched; branches ventral-intercalary, leafy or flagelliform (stolon-like) or short sexual. Rhizoids abundant over the ventral side of the stem. Leaf insertion oblique. Leaves widely spreading or the rows often folded against one another, distant to imbricate, orbicular to oblong, 0.7-1.0 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide, somewhat concave, with a conspicuous border of elongate cells forming an upturned edge, the apex rounded, or rarely emarginate, the margin entire; cells of the marginal 1-4 rows small, 13-20 X 13 µ, with uniformly thickened walls, cells of the upper part of the leaf 13-18 X 13 µ the walls thin, the trigones small, with concave sides, the cuticle verruculose. Underleaves very small, of only a few cells. Plants dioicous. Male inflorescence a short catkin-like ventral branch, the bracts and bracteoles in 6 or more series, the bracts small, shortly bifid, concave, monandrous, the bracteoles small, ovate, bifid. Female inflorescence a very short ventral branch, the bracts and bracteoles in 3 series, ovate, the inner series largest, bifid to one-half, the segments slender, acuminate, spreading. Perianth long-ovoid, to 3 mm long, cylindrical below, with 3 broad, rounded keels above becoming plicate, the mouth irregularly lobed or cleft, short setulose.

  • Discussion

    Jungermannia prostrata Swartz, Prodr. FI. Ind. Occid. 142. 1788. Sphagnoecetis prostrata a Nees in G. L. & N. Syn. Hep. 149. 1845. Pleuroschisma prostratum Mitten, Jour. Linn. Soc. Bot. 15: 61. 1877.

  • Distribution

    Habitat: On logs in woods.

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