Aulacomnium turgidum (Wahlenb.) Schwägr.

  • Authority

    Sharp, Aaron J., et al. 1994. The Moss Flora of Mexico. Part One: Sphagnales to Bryales. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 69 (1): 1-452.

  • Family

    Aulacomniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Aulacomnium turgidum (Wahlenb.) Schwägr.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Robust plants in dense, yellow, yellow-green, or yellow-brown tufts 4-11 cm high. Stems and branches stout and julaceous. Leaves erect or imbricate wet or dry, 1.5-3 mm long, concave, oblong or elhptic, rounded and cucullate-concave at the apex, not decurrent; margins entire, narrowly revolute in the lower 2/3 or 3/4; costa straight or flexuose above, ending near the apex; upper cells isodiametric, thickwalled, collenchymatous and ± stellate, 9-15 µm wide, unipapillose on both surfaces; basal cells similar except for several rows of yellow or brown, somewhat swollen, subquadrate or shortly oblong cells with straight, rather thick walls at the insertion. Dioicous. Perigonia rather large, terminal. Setae 15-20 mm long; capsules inclined to nearly horizontal, ± curved, 2.5-3 mm long; operculum bluntly conic; endostome segments gaping, the cilia 3-5. Spores 9-11 µm, smooth or nearly so. (Sporophytes not seen from our area.)

  • Discussion

    Fig. 406a-c

    A. turgidum (Wahl.) Schwaegr., Sp. Muse Suppl. 3,1(1): 7. 1827.

    Mnium turgidumVVahl, Fl. Lapp. 351. 1812.

    The plants have a stout, swollen, wormlike appearance. The leaves are oblong-elliptic and broadly rounded at the apex.

    An occurrence in Chihuahua, so far from a distinctly northern range of distribution, is indeed surprising. The same collector, Harde Le Seuer, found another species ofthe North, Sphagnum squarrosum, at the same locality. Very likely both collections were mislabeled.

  • Distribution

    In wet, rocky tundra in the north (Mexican habitat unknown); Chihuahua (Chupie Lake area at 2500 m alt.).-Mexico; Greenland to New Hampshire and westward across Canada to Alaska and British Columbia; northern and central Europe; Siberia and Japan.

    Mexico North America| Greenland North America| United States of America North America| Canada North America| Europe| Russia Asia| Japan Asia|