Zollinger's Fissidens Moss

In China, this species was called Fissidens xiphioides by P.-C. Chen et al. (1963).

Fissidens zollingeri is best distinguished by its usually palmately arranged leaves, limbidium present on all laminae of the leaf, and juxtacostal patches of enlarged, oblong, pellucid cells in the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae. The distal laminal cells are distinct, smooth, and slightly bulging. It is closely related to two other tropical species, F. angustifolius Sullivant and F. yucatanensis Steere, both of which have limbate leaves and groups of enlarged, pellucid cells in the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae. The distal laminal cells of those species, however, are mammillose. Axillary, stalked, multicellular, clavate gemmae have been observed in tropical specimens of F. zollingeri.

Plants small. Leafy stems usually simple, rarely branched, 1.8–2.3 mm long, 1.4–2.5 mm wide; axillary hyaline nodules differentiated; central strand not differentiated. Leaves in 4–7 pairs, the lowest leaves much smaller than the upper leaves; middle to upper leaves oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 1.2–1.5 mm × 0.2–0.3 mm, slightly acuminate at apex; base of dorsal laminae rounded to broadly wedge-shaped; vaginant laminae ca. 1/2 the leaf length; margins nearly entire, limbidia along the whole margin, uniformly 1–2 cells wide, except 3–4 cells wide on the lower half of the vaginant laminae; costa light yellow, stout, shortly excurrent; cells of apical and dorsal laminae irregularly hexagonal, 9–21 µm long, thin-walled, smooth; cells at base of vaginant laminae much larger than those of apical and dorsal laminae, up to 42 µm long, 18 µm wide. Synoicous. Archegonia terminal on main stems of lateral branches. Setae 2.0–3.3 mm long, smooth; capsules erect, symmetrical; urns ca. 0.6 mm long.

Plants to 5.5 × 3.0 mm. Stem unbranched and branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand weak or absent. Leaves as many as 12 pairs, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, rarely linear-lanceolate, acute or infrequently obtuse, to 2.5 × 0.5 mm; dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion, not decurrent; vaginant laminae ± ¹/2 leaf length, equal; margin entire but serrulate distally, limbate on all laminae, limbidium confluent at apex or ending slightly before, limbidial cells 1- or 2-stratose; costa percurrent to short-excurrent, bryoides-type; laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, slightly bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, 6.5-18 µm, greatly enlarged, ± oblong, ± pellucid in juxtacostal patches in proximal portions of vaginant laminae. Sexual condition rhizautoicous and synoicous. Sporophytes 1-2 per perichaetium. Capsule theca erect, radially symmetric to slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, 0.5-0.8 mm; peristome scariosus-type; operculum to 0.8 mm. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, 0.6 mm. Spores 10-13 µm.

Distribution: China, widely distributed in southwestern Asia and Oceania, New Zealand, and South and North America.

Habitat: on soil.

Fissidens xiphioides Fleisch., Hedwigia 38 (Beibl): 125. 1899.

Fissidens kegelianus Müller Hal.