Splachnaceae on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Splachnaceae is a
Male plants are more slender, with a looser leaf distribution. Leaves differ in size and differentiation towards the apex of the stem forming an often-bulbous perigonia. Perigonial leaves are strongly differentiated, being ovate and tapering to a long tip. The perigonium is terminal, and will often harbour
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...
es, containing around 70 species in 6 genera. Around half of those species are entomophilous, using insect
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
s to disperse their spore
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, ...
s, a characteristic found in no other seedless land plant
The Embryophyta (), or land plants, are the most familiar group of green plants that comprise vegetation on Earth. Embryophytes () have a common ancestor with green algae, having emerged within the Phragmoplastophyta clade of green algae as sist ...
s.
Many species in this family are coprophilous, growing exclusively on animal faeces or carrion
Carrion () is the decaying flesh of dead animals, including human flesh.
Overview
Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures ...
. For this reason, certain genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...
such as ''Splachnum'' Hedw. are often referred to as dung mosses.
Description
Gametophyte
Mosses in this family are predominantlydioicous
Dioicy () is a sexual system where archegonia and antheridia are produced on separate gametophytes. It is one of the two main sexual systems in bryophytes. Both dioicous () and monoicous gametophytes produce gametes in gametangia by mitosis ra ...
(archegonia and antheridia on separate individuals); although exceptions are known such as ''S.'' ''pensylvanicum'' which is monoicous. The gametophyte
A gametophyte () is one of the two alternation of generations, alternating multicellular organism, multicellular phases in the life cycles of plants and algae. It is a haploid multicellular organism that develops from a haploid spore that has on ...
is always acrocarpous (standing up), with green-yellow to reddish leaves/stems, and most often under 5 cm in height. Stems stand vertically and when cross-sectioned, can be seen to have a well-defined central strand. Large parenchymatous cells surround the central strand with thin, red to orange cell walls. Cortex (botany), Cortical cells are often more red in color, being narrow and thick-walled. Axillary hairs may be present along the stem, although axillary branches are infrequent. Rhizoid
Rhizoids are protuberances that extend from the lower epidermal cells of bryophytes and algae. They are similar in structure and function to the root hairs of vascular land plants. Similar structures are formed by some fungi. Rhizoids may be u ...
s are dark brown or red and may be papillose.
Female plants are more robust than male plants; having spreading, ovate
Ovate may refer to:
* Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts
*Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe
A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used ...
to lanceolate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regula ...
leaves that are moderately crisped when dry. Leaf distribution may be homogenous or may become larger/denser near the apex of the stem. Leaves may be serrate
Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied ...
(finely toothed) on the edges, and possess a single costa that often ends before the apex. Laminal
A laminal consonant is a phone (speech sound) produced by obstructing the air passage with the blade of the tongue, the flat top front surface just behind the tip of the tongue in contact
with upper lip, teeth, alveolar ridge, to possibly, as ...
cells are thin-walled, being more rectangular towards the base and hexagonal at the apex. Perichaetial leaves are often larger, but similar in structure to the other leaves on the stem.
Male plants are more slender, with a looser leaf distribution. Leaves differ in size and differentiation towards the apex of the stem forming an often-bulbous perigonia. Perigonial leaves are strongly differentiated, being ovate and tapering to a long tip. The perigonium is terminal, and will often harbour paraphyses
Paraphyses are erect sterile filament-like support structures occurring among the reproductive apparatuses of fungi, ferns, bryophytes and some thallophytes. The singular form of the word is paraphysis.
In certain fungi, they are part of the fe ...
.
Early stages
Like othermosses
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and h ...
, gametophytes start as a haploid spore which quickly germinates to become a uniseriate
{{Short pages monitor