4.
Andreaea rupestris
Hedwig, Sp. Musc. Frond. 47, plate 7, fig. 2g-o. 1801.
Andreaea alpestris
(Thedenius) Schimper;
A. papillosa
Lindberg;
A. parvifolia
Müller Hal.;
A. rupestris
var.
acuminata
(Schimper) Sharp;
A. rupestris
var.
alpestris
(Thedenius) Sharp;
A. rupestris
var.
papillosa
(Lindberg) Podpera;
A. rupestris
var.
sparsifolia
(Zetterstedt) Sharp;
A. sparsifolia
var.
sublaevis
Kindberg
Plants
reddish black, black or greenish brown.
Leaves
curved or secund to straight, wide-spreading to squarrose, short-lanceolate, widest proximally, apex oblique or symmetric; costa absent; leaf margins entire; basal laminal cells short- to long-rectangular, marginal cells rounded-quadrate to short-rectangular, walls sometimes thickened, usually pitted, straight; medial laminal cells quadrate to short-rectangular, 1-stratose or occasionally 2-stratose in patches, lumens rounded, rectangular or irregularly stellate; laminal papillae usually present, commonly large, whitish.
Sexual condition
cladautoicous or autoicous; perichaetial leaves differentiated, convolute-sheathing.
Spores
20-32(-50) µm.
Neutral to acidic boulders, cliffs and walls, generally wet sites; low to moderate elevations; Greenland; Nunavut, Que.; Alaska; nw Europe.
Andreaea rupestris
is a species of many morphological variants, more commonly identified by simple elimination. It is similar to
A. obovata
, but is distinguished by the leaves generally curving or secund, short-lanceolate, widest proximally, apices oblique or symmetric. The degree of expression of laminal papillae is variable on the same plant. Plants identified as
A. alpestris
, said to differ by straight leaves with low papillae, is probably best considered a high elevation form.
