Plant Guide > Mosses and Lichens > Mosses > Genus Fissidens > Fissidens Adiantoides Moss

Fissidens Adiantoides Moss

Fissidens adiantoides, Hedw.

Habit and habitat.-In bright or dark-green mats on moist shady ground, wet rocks and roots of trees. Varying according to locality.

Name.-The specific name is compounded of; maidenhair, and the suffix; like, referring to the habit the leaves of the maidenhair have on shedding water; being compounded of a, without, and; wet.

Plant (garnetophyte).-Stems 1 to 5 inches long ; branches growing from the apex or base of the stern, with root-like fibres at their base.

Leaves.-Numerous, close, overlapping like shingles, linearoblong, clasping at the base; apex taper-pointed and tipped with a short point continuous with the vein, the wing long and continuous ; margins trannsparent, irregularly and minutely serrate.

Habit of flowering.-Male and female flowers on different parts of the same plants (autoicous); male flower-clusters small. axillary bud-like.

Veil (calyptra).-Split on one side.

Spore-case.-Oval, red-brown, much constricted under the orifice when empty.

Pedice.-Red, 1/2 to 1 inch long, appearing as if attached to the side of the stem.

Lid (operculum).-Conical, with a. long beak.

Teeth (peristome).-Red, sixteen, each cleft into two slender
segments with numerous cross-bars; inclined when dry.

Annulus.-One or two rows of large cells.

Spores.-Mature in December.

Distribution.-Universal.