Saelania Moss

The whitish to bluish coloration of the leaves is characteristic. Often thought to have been fungal or cyanobacterial in origin, the granular or thread-like surface material responsible for the glaucous coloration is a diterpene.

Plants 1–2 cm high, often bluish green, shiny, gregarious or in loose tufts. Stems erect, often numerous branched, radiculose at base; central strand distinct. Leaves smaller and distant below, larger and crowded above, slightly contorted when dry, 1.2–2.0 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, gradually acuminate; margins plane, serrate near the apex; costa strong, percurrent or shortly excurrent; cells not much differentiated from the upper to the base, quadrate to short-rectangular, 10–16 µm × 10–13 µm, firm-walled, smooth, occasionally bistratose at the margins. Autoicous. Perichaetial leaves similar to the upper stem leaves. Setae slender, straight, 7–8 mm long, yellow; capsules erect, cylindric, slightly asymmetric, 1.5–2.0 mm long, somewhat furrowed or plicate when dry and empty; opercula slightly obliquely long-rostrate; annuli differentiated, in 2–3 rows of large, thick-walled cells; peristome teeth linear-lanceolate, divided nearly to the base, reddish brown and densely papillose above the middle, basal membrane low, yellow. Spores 13–16 µm in diameter, minutely papillose.

Leaves 1-2.5(-3.5) mm, proximal leaves small, the distal and perichaetial leaves gradually acuminate, ± subulate from a lanceolate base; costa with a single row of guide cells, and both adaxial and abaxial stereid bands, or adaxial stereid band sometimes weak or rarely absent; lamina cells often irregularly 2-stratose towards the apex and occasionally elsewhere. Seta to 15 mm. Capsule with operculum to 1 mm. Spores 15-20(-22) µm, greenish to yellow-brown.

Distribution: China, Japan, Russian Far East, Europe, North America, South Africa, and New Zealand.

Habitat: on soil and rocks.

Trichostomum glaucescens Hedwig, Sp. Musc. Frond., 112. 1801

Saelania glaucescens (Hedw.) Broth, in E. & P
Nat. Pfl. 1': 300. 1901.
? Bryum caesium Vill. Hist. PI. Dauph. 3: 879. pi. 54. 1789. Trichostomum glaucescens Hedw. Descr. 3: 91. 1792. Leptolrichum glaucescens Hampc; Schimp. Syn. 146. 1860. Ditrichum glaucescens Hampe, Flora 50: 182. 1867. Saelania caesia I.indb. Utkast 35. 1878.
Plants cespitose, glaucous-green; stems 1-2 cm. high, branching fastigiately, with numerous slender, erect branches, naked and radiculose below, leafy above : leaves lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 1-1.5 mm. long; costa stout, yellow, smooth or slightly rough on the back at the apex ; cross-section almost terete, with 2-4 guide-cells, a well developed stereid-band below, a smaller one above and differentiated dorsal cells, those of the blade with thick convex walls; margins slightly revolute below, serrate above, with a few distant, appressed teeth; cells oblong or square, not much elongate at base, occasionally double on the margins ; perichaetium not sheathing, its leaves 1.5-2 mm. long, narrowly lanceolate-acuminate, almost subulate; costa often excurrent; basal cells longer and clearer; margins revolute, irregularly toothed. Autoicous: antheridia terminal on separate branches: inner perigonial leaves short and blunt, the outer ones longer, lanceolate: seta 5-10 mm. long, erect, twisted: calyptra cucuUate: capsule erect, symmetric, slightly sulcate when dry, 1.5-2 mm. long, ovoid-cylindric, broadest at base; neck short, stomatose; mouth narrow; lid conic, beaked; annulus of 2-3 rows of cells, dehiscent; peristome red; basal membrane short; teeth erect or slightly twisted when dry, bifid, more or less united at the joints, slender and papillose: spores papillose, 14-18 a« in diameter, maturing from May to August.
Type locality: Sweden.
Distribution: Greenland; Hudson's Bay to British Columbia, Ounalaska, and Behring Sea; on rocky limestone cliffs, not common. New England, New York, and New Jersey; Minnesota to the Rocky Mountains; also in Europe and Asia.