Bryological Monograph An annotated checklist of the mosses of ...

differences and recognize several species. North
American authors stress the presence of intergrading
forms and recognize only one species, F. bryoides
Hedw. On both continents many specimens are easily
identified as F. bryoides sensu stricto (with numerous
axillary antheridial buds), F. viridulus (most antheridia
terminal on dwarf male or longer plants) or F. incurvus
(incurved capsules). Also on both continents sexual
characters are more or less correlated to other
characters (extension of the limbidium, shape of the
leaf apex, sporophyte, etc.). Intergrading specimens
are also known from both continents and are probably
most common in southern and northern regions.
Whether they are more common in North America
is unknown. In the Netherlands most specimens can
be easily identified. Variation in sexuality in European
material of this complex has led to the description of
many varieties and species. In this checklist, we adopt
a conservative (from a European point of view)
perspective, but omit F. exiguus Sull. and F. kosaninii
Latzel, and reduce F. curnovii and F. incurvus to
varietal rank.
95. Cortini Pedrotti (2001) and Smith (2004) treat
Fissidens bryoides var. caespitans at species level. It is
here included as variety because, though extreme
forms are clearly distinct from F. bryoides var.
bryoides by red rhizoids, a thicker limbidium, inclined
capsules and a cushion-like growth form, many
collections cannot be identified with certainty.
96. In a recent provisional publication Pursell (2005)
recognizes Fissidens minutulus as a distinct species,
closely related to, yet distinct from, F. crispus
(including F. limbatus). We are not convinced that
the two taxa are distinct in Europe and they are
treated as synonyms here.
97. Fissidens gymnandrus is treated by North American
authors and Ignatov & Afonina (1992) as a synonym
of F. bryoides. However it differs from F. bryoides
sensu stricto in being polyoicous, having oblong leaves
with a wide apex, and by its preference for woody
substrates in regularly flooded localities.
98. Fissidens jansenii was described by Sérgio & Pursell
(2001). The resemblance of this species to Fissidens
rufulus was overlooked by its authors. Both species
have small cells and limbidia that reach the insertion
of the dorsal laminae. F. jansenii has bistratose leaves;
the leaves of F. rufulus are irregularly bistratose or
unistratose.
99. Fissidens microstictus is a relatively unknown species
characterized by stems with numerous wide, elliptical
to ovate leaves, broad, acute leaf tips and dorsal
laminae that are narrowed below and typically reach
the insertion. All leaves of a stem can be elimbate or
limbate, or limbate and elimbate leaves may occur on
the same stem, limbidia are found on the vaginant
laminae and sometimes also in the middle of the
dorsal laminae. It is closely related to F. arnoldii from
MOSSES OF EUROPE AND MACARONESIA 231
which it differs in the broadly acute not acuminate leaf
tips.
100. Fissidens nobreganus resembles F. sublineaefolius
which also has linear leaves and smooth cells. It
differs from this species in having bud-shaped axillary
perigonia and perigonia terminal on short axillary
branches, by smaller, almost isodiametric laminal cells
and limbidia that are restricted to the upper leaves of
perichaetial plants. Fissidens sublineaefolius has terminal
perigonia, larger, hexagonal laminal cells and
well-developed limbidia on all laminae of all leaves.
101. Fissidens perssonii was synonymized with F. ovatifolius
by Dirkse, Bouman & Losada-Lima (1993).
102. Fissidens pusillus is treated by North American
authors as an expression of F. bryoides.
103. European specimens identified as Fissidens exiguus are
poorly limbate forms of either F. viridulus or of F.
pusillus. Fissidens exiguus is treated by North
American authors as a poorly limbate expression of
F. bryoides.
104. Fissidens sublimbatus was reported from the Canary
Islands by Ros et al. (2001).
105. Fissidens viridulus is treated by North American
authors as an expression of F. bryoides.
106. Bryum pallens, Dicranum polysetum, D. viridulum
(Fissidens), Hypnum revolvens (Scorpidium) and
Orthotrichum pumilum are Swartz names from before
Species Muscorum that were validated in a book
review (Anon., 1801); thus ‘ex anon.’.
107. Fissidens viridulus var. incurvus is linked to var.
viridulus by transitional forms. North American
authors treat both taxa as expressions of F. bryoides.
108. Re-examination of the isotype of Fissidens bambergeri
in U showed that it is a poorly limbate form of
F. viridulus. It differs from F. crispus (F. limbatus)
with which it has been confused by larger, hardly
bulging, less than twice as deep as wide, laminal
cells.
109. Fissidens marginatulus is not accepted by Ignatov &
Ignatova (2003) and seems hardly distinct from F.
viridulus.
110. Fissidens serratus was reported as F. papillosus, new
for the Canary Islands, by Dirkse, Bruggeman-
Nannenga & Bouman (1991). Bruggeman-Nannenga
& Pursell (1995) treated F. papillosus as a synonym of
F. serratus.
111. Ceratodon antarcticus Cardot and C. heterophyllus
Kindb. have been reported from arctic and alpine
parts of Europe. According to Ochyra (1998), C.
antarcticus is merely a developmental phase of C.
purpureus with very large mid-leaf cells and plane leaf
margins. European records of C. heterophyllus are
based on plants that lack capsules and therefore
according to the account of Burley & Pritchard (1990)
are not reliable. Nevertheless, the occurrence in cold
parts of Europe of Ceratodon plants with rounded,
entire leaf apices is remarkable. Cultivation experi-