Status: Native
Synonyms:
Amblystegium americanum Grout
Amblystegium compactum (Müll. Hal.) Austin
Rhynchostegiella compacta (Müll. Hal.) Loeske
Rhynchostegiella compacta (Müll. Hal.) Loeske var. americana (Grout) H.A. Crum, Steere & L.E. Anderson
Conardia compacta is a rather odd appearing moss. On first glance, it looks like an Amblystegium, but the cells are really too long, more like a Brachythecium. There is a well developed costa. The margin is serrulate from the apex to the base, with the serrulations at the base nearly reflexed. Growing from the back of the costa one finds rhizoids near the base of the leaf and linear gemmae toward the apex. The stems can appear homomallous at the tips. Conardia compacta is found on soil at the base of rocks at middle elevation in moist canyons.
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Conardia compacta, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 100x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 400x photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 100x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 400x photomicrograph of leaf base, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 100x photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 400x photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 400x photomicrograph of leaf base with rhizoids arising from back of costa, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 400x photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 400x photomicrograph of cells at mid leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
Conardia compacta, 100x photomicrograph of three leaves, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Cliff Dweller Canyon, October 29, 2011
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