Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

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

Fissidens crispus Montagne

Family: Fissidentaceae

Status: Native

Synonyms:
Fissidens limbatus Sullivant
Fissidens limbatus Sullivant var. breviflorus (Cardot & Theriot) Grout
Fissidens limbatus Sullivant var. ensiformis Grout
Fissidens pusillus (Wilson) Milde var. brevifolius Cardot & Theriot
Fissidens repandus Wilson
Fissidens tortilis Hampe & Mueller Hal.

Fissidens crispus, like all Fissidens, has distichous (two-ranked, leaves in one plane on either side of the stem) leaves that have a "pita pocket" like lamina (equitant) that allows for the next leaf above to nest into the one below. This pocket like lamina is similar to that seen in Iris. The leaves themselves are elliptic and apiculate (a small point at the apex.) The cells are quadrate to hexagonal in shape. The vaginant lamina (the one that forms the pocket) attaches to the margin of the leaf about 1/2 to 3/4 to the apex. When dry, the leaves are no longer flat but rather are wrinkled or "crisped." The limbidium of the similar F. sublimbatus is usually present only on the vaginant lamina. Fissidens crispus is found hiding in crevices and under edges of rocks at lower to middle elevation in more arid areas in the Gila National Forest.
Please click on an image for a larger file.



Fissidens crispus (dry), photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, November 15, 2010



Fissidens crispus, 40x photomicrograph of wet branch, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, November 15, 2010



Fissidens crispus, 100x photomicrograph of wet branch, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, November 15, 2010



Fissidens crispus, 200x photomicrograph of wet leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, November 15, 2010



Fissidens crispus, 400x photomicrograph of wet leaf tip, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, November 15, 2010



Fissidens crispus, 400x photomicrograph of wet mid leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, November 15, 2010



Fissidens crispus, 400x photomicrograph of leaf cross section, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, November 15, 2010



Fissidens crispus, 400x photomicrograph of stem cross section, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, November 15, 2010



Fissidens crispus, 100x photomicrograph of stem with apparent central strand, photo Russ Kleinman, Karen Blisard & Kirsten Romig, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, June 12, 2012



Fissidens crispus, 400x photomicrograph of peristome of bryoides type with laminar ridges higher than base lamina and abrupt transition at bifurcation, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, October 5, 2013



Fissidens crispus, 5x macro of growth habit, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, October 5, 2013



Fissidens crispus, 5x macro of capsule, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, October 5, 2013



Fissidens crispus, 5x macro of capsule, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen, Pinos Altos Range, Ben Lilly Memorial, October 5, 2013


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