Schistidium maritimum

(Turner ex Robt. Scott) Bruch & Schimper

Bryol. Europ. 3: 102. 1845,.

Basionym: Grimmia maritima Turner ex Robt. Scott Trans. Dublin Soc. 3: 158, plate 1. 1803
Synonyms: Schistidium maritimum subsp. piliferum (I. Hagen) B. Bremer
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 220. Mentioned on page 208, 213.

Plants in tufts, olivaceous, often brownish. Stems 0.8–5 cm, central strand absent. Leaves usually curved, sometimes erect, often somewhat contorted when dry, ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, keeled, (1.2–)1.5–2.6(–4) mm, usually 2-stratose distally; margins usually plane distally, recurved proximally, smooth or papillose, 2-stratose or 3-stratose, rarely 4-stratose distally; apices acute or blunt, sometimes ending in a short, fleshy, multistratose apiculus; costa percurrent, rarely excurrent as a short denticulate awn, with guide cells and one or two stereid bands, abaxial surface usually slightly papillose; basal marginal cells quadrate or short-rectangular, often trigonous; distal laminal cells isodiametric, rounded or angular, sometimes short-rectangular, 7–11 µm wide, smooth or weakly papillose, sometimes weakly bulging-mammillose, straight or slightly sinuose. Sexual condition autoicous. Capsule dark reddish brown or dark brown, ovoid, cupulate, or campanulate, 0.6–1.3 mm; exothecial cells usually angular, isodiametric, occasionally elongate, thick-walled; stomata present; peristome patent to revolute, 200–500 µm, red, papillose, often strongly perforated. Spores 15–30 µm, granulose.


Phenology: Capsules mature late spring to early summer.
Habitat: Rocks within or near the spray zone along coasts
Elevation: low elevations (0-20 m)

Distribution

V27 300-distribution-map.gif

Greenland, B.C., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., P.E.I., Que., Alaska, Calif., Maine, Mass., Oreg., Wash., Eurasia.

Discussion

Schistidium maritimum is one of the easiest species of the genus to identify. Its usually 2-stratose distal laminae, well developed stereid bands, usually small and often campanulate capsules, and coastal habitat are distinctive. Subspecies piliferum, characterized by the presence of awns and a single stereid layer, is not recognized here; further study is needed.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Schistidium maritimum"
Terry T. McIntosh +
(Turner ex Robt. Scott) Bruch & Schimper +
Grimmia maritima +
Greenland +, B.C. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Alaska +, Calif. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Oreg. +, Wash. +  and Eurasia. +
low elevations (0-20 m) +
Rocks within or near the spray zone along coasts +
Capsules mature late spring to early summer. +
Bryol. Europ. +
Schistidium maritimum subsp. piliferum +
Schistidium maritimum +
Schistidium +
species +