Calymperes Moss

Calymperes erosum occurs rarely in peninsular Florida, but it is common in other parts of its range outside of the flora area. It may superficially resemble C. afzelii but can be easily distinguished by the mammillose distal adaxial cells of its cancellinae, and by bearing gemmae all around on the excurrent apex of the costa of gemmiferous leaves. The distal ends of the cancellinae are usually rounded, and the plants often have a pinkish tinge.

Calymperes erosum is well marked by its reddish gemmae borne in a ball-like cluster all around on the tip of the excurrent costa and by the distinctive mammillose distal cells of its cancellinae. The latter alone will distinguish it easily even when gemmae are lacking, although then the excurrent costa from which gemmae have dehisced is still distinctive. The mammillose cells may be lacking at the very tips of the cancellinae but can be found along the sides of the cancellinae just proximal to their tips. The only other Chinese Calymperes with gemmae borne all around the tip of the excurrent costa is C. tenerum, which lacks teniolae and has plane distal cancellinae cells. The species most often confused with C. erosum is C. afzelii, but C. afzelii has the distal cells of its cancellinae plane and bears gemmae only on the adaxial surface of its costa tip, which is never excurrent. Some plants of C. erosum have the leaves all or mostly broad and nongemmiferous and may look very different from plants with the leaves all narrowly acuminate and gemmiferous. Calymperes erosum has previously been known in China under the name C. hampei Dozy & Molk., a synonym (cf. P.-J. Lin & Reese 1988).

Plants gregarious or tufted, green to brownish, often somewhat uncinate-curved at tips when dry, to 5 mm. Leaves dimorphic, the vegetative 2-3 mm; distal lamina broadly to narrowly lanceolate; margins somewhat thickened and toothed distally; costa in cross section showing ad- and abxaxial bands of stereid cells; medial cells obscure or distinct, 5-6 µm, minutely papillose ad- and abaxially; teniolae usually distinct at leaf shoulders and beyond but sometimes weak or interrupted; cancellinae usually broadly rounded distally, adaxial distal cells distinctly mammillose; gemmiferous leaves with apex of costa excurrent, bearing gemmae all around on apex of costa.

Plants blackish proximally, yellowish green distally, sometimes forked, in low dense turfs. Stems evident; rhizoids brown to glossy blackish red. Leaves essentially monomorphic, vegetative leaves grading into gemmiferous leaves, mostly little-contorted and appressed-secund when dry, bases conspicuous and with metallic hue, erect-spreading when wet, lanceolate to narrowly or broadly acuminate above broader base, to 4–5 mm long, axillary hairs inconspicuous; costa excurrent in gemmiferous leaves; median cells of upper laminae isodiametric, nearly smooth to sharply papillose abaxially, bulging to mammillose-papillose adaxially; margins more or less thickened and toothed distally; teniolae usually conspicuous; at least some (often most) distal cells of cancellinae distinctly mammillose, with mammillae pointing distally, adjacent green cells of upper laminae also mammillose. Gemmae common, in reddish spherical clusters borne all around on excurrent tip of costa. Sporophytes not seen.

Distribution: pantropical.

Habitat: neither common nor abundant; at moderate elevations on tree trunks, rock, and rotted logs in forests, 70–1000 m.

Calymperes emersum Müller Hal.

Calymperes fordii Besch., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot., sér. 8, 1: 284. 1896. Type. China: Hong Kong (C. Ford, in herb. de Poli, no. 140) (isotypes FH–Fleischer, NY).