Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Presented in Association with the
Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences

Leptodictyum riparium (Hedwig) Warnstorf

Family: Amblystegiaceae

Status: Native

Synonyms:
Amblystegium riparum (Hedwig) Schimper

Leptodictyum riparium is a polymorphic moss that may look quite different in slowly moving water compared to its appearance in more rapidly flowing streams. Generally, it is pleurocarpous with entire, lanceolate leaves more than one millimeter long. However, the leaves in more rapidly flowing water can be several millimeters long and quite long attenuate. The basal marginal cells are rectangular, with the mid-laminal and apical cells quite a bit more elongate-- up to about 15:1.
Please click on an image for a larger file.



Leptodictyum riparium, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Pinos Altos Range, Bear Creek, October 15, 2013



Leptodictyum riparium, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, in a rapidly flowing stream crossing Little Cherry Creek Ranch Road, April 14, 2010



Leptodictyum riparium, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, in a rapidly flowing stream crossing Little Cherry Creek Ranch Road, April 14, 2010



Leptodictyum riparium, 40X photomicrograph of base of long attenuate leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, in a rapidly flowing stream crossing Little Cherry Creek Ranch Road, April 14, 2010



Leptodictyum riparium, 40X photomicrograph of apex of long attenuate leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, in a rapidly flowing stream crossing Little Cherry Creek Ranch Road, April 14, 2010



Leptodictyum riparium, 100X photomicrograph of base of long attenuate leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, in a rapidly flowing stream crossing Little Cherry Creek Ranch Road, April 14, 2010



Leptodictyum riparium, 400X photomicrograph of cells at leaf base, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Little Cherry Creek Ranch Road, December 11, 2012



Leptodictyum riparium, 400X photomicrograph of cells at mid leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Little Cherry Creek Ranch Road, December 11, 2012



Leptodictyum riparium, photomicrograph of capsule, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Cherry Creek at Ben Lily cliffs, December 13, 2017


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