Andreaea subulata Harv.
  • Icon. Pl. 3(1): pl. 201. 1840[1839]. 


Cite taxon page as 'WFO (2025): Andreaea subulata Harv. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0001151165. Accessed on: 04 Jun 2025'

Local Descriptions

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General Information

Andreaea subulata Harv. in Hook., Icon. Pl. Rar. 3: 201. 1840.

Type. South Africa, Cape of Good Hope, Harvey.

Plants small, 1–2 cm high. Leaves blackish red, without a whitish bloom, falcate-secund, long-subulate from an ovate to oblong base, concave, 1–2 mm long, apices acute; margins plane; lamina unistratose; costa 0.33 to 0.5 the width of the leaf base, filling or nearly filling the subula at midleaf; median leaf cells short rectangular to quadrate, 10–12 µm, very thick-walled with rounded lumina, not pitted; lower leaf cells rectangular 16–18 µm long, very thick-walled, pitted, yellowish. Perichaetial leaves sheathing, convolute. Sporophytes not seen in Central America.

  • Provided by: [D].Moss Flora of Central America
    • Source: [
    • 1
    • ]. 

    Diagnostic Description

    The small size of the plants and the costate, ovate-subulate leaves will place A. subulata. Occasionally high-altitude, rock-growing specimens of Grimmia apocarpa have been mistaken for this species. These specimens are also frequently small and reddish brown, but the larger leaves with broader apices and sinuolate leaf cells should separate these specimens.

  • Provided by: [B].e-Flora of South Africa
    • Source: [
    • 2
    • ]. 

    Morphology

    Plants medium-sized, loosely caespitose, brown-green to black-green or red-brown; saxicolous. Stems 10-20 mm long, irregularly branched; in section round, central strand absent, inner cortical cells in 3 rows, slightly thickened, outer cortical cells in 3 rows, smaller, incrassate. Leaves falcate-secund to almost circinate wet or dry; oval to oblong, long-subulate, 2.0-2.5(-3.0) mm long; margins plane, entire. Costa wide, filling subula; in proximal section flattened, cells in 2 rows, undifferentiated, strongly thickened; lamina unistratose; in distal section reniform, internal cells in 2-4, rows, small strongly thickened, dorsal and ventral surface cells thin-walled; lamina bistratose. Upper laminal cells rounded-quadrate, incrassate, bulging dorsally, smooth ventrally; basal juxtacostal cells rectangular. Perichaetia terminal; leaves sheathing, convolute, oval, short-acuminate to acute, 3.0-3.5 mm long. Pseudopodia light green, 2 mm long; capsules immersed to emergent, elliptical-apiculate, 1.0-1.2 mm long, red brown, dehiscence slits extending from base to apex; spores round, 25-35 µm, yellow, reticulate-papillose.

  • Provided by: [B].e-Flora of South Africa
    • Source: [
    • 2
    • ]. 

    Habitat

    Saxicolous.

  • Provided by: [B].e-Flora of South Africa
    • Source: [
    • 2
    • ]. 

    Distribution

    Originally described from a specimen collected by Harvey on Table Mountain, A. subulata has subsequently been collected on the East African Islands and in Australia, New Zealand and southern South America. The species has been re-collected several times in the Flora area, but only on Table Mountain.

  • Provided by: [B].e-Flora of South Africa
    • Source: [
    • 2
    • ]. 
    Moss Flora of Central AmericaGeneral Information

    Andreaea subulata Harv. in Hook., Icon. Pl. Rar. 3: 201. 1840.

    Type. South Africa, Cape of Good Hope, Harvey.

    Plants small, 1–2 cm high. Leaves blackish red, without a whitish bloom, falcate-secund, long-subulate from an ovate to oblong base, concave, 1–2 mm long, apices acute; margins plane; lamina unistratose; costa 0.33 to 0.5 the width of the leaf base, filling or nearly filling the subula at midleaf; median leaf cells short rectangular to quadrate, 10–12 µm, very thick-walled with rounded lumina, not pitted; lower leaf cells rectangular 16–18 µm long, very thick-walled, pitted, yellowish. Perichaetial leaves sheathing, convolute. Sporophytes not seen in Central America.

    e-Flora of South AfricaDiagnostic Description

    The small size of the plants and the costate, ovate-subulate leaves will place A. subulata. Occasionally high-altitude, rock-growing specimens of Grimmia apocarpa have been mistaken for this species. These specimens are also frequently small and reddish brown, but the larger leaves with broader apices and sinuolate leaf cells should separate these specimens.

    Morphology

    Plants medium-sized, loosely caespitose, brown-green to black-green or red-brown; saxicolous. Stems 10-20 mm long, irregularly branched; in section round, central strand absent, inner cortical cells in 3 rows, slightly thickened, outer cortical cells in 3 rows, smaller, incrassate. Leaves falcate-secund to almost circinate wet or dry; oval to oblong, long-subulate, 2.0-2.5(-3.0) mm long; margins plane, entire. Costa wide, filling subula; in proximal section flattened, cells in 2 rows, undifferentiated, strongly thickened; lamina unistratose; in distal section reniform, internal cells in 2-4, rows, small strongly thickened, dorsal and ventral surface cells thin-walled; lamina bistratose. Upper laminal cells rounded-quadrate, incrassate, bulging dorsally, smooth ventrally; basal juxtacostal cells rectangular. Perichaetia terminal; leaves sheathing, convolute, oval, short-acuminate to acute, 3.0-3.5 mm long. Pseudopodia light green, 2 mm long; capsules immersed to emergent, elliptical-apiculate, 1.0-1.2 mm long, red brown, dehiscence slits extending from base to apex; spores round, 25-35 µm, yellow, reticulate-papillose.

    Habitat

    Saxicolous.

    Distribution

    Originally described from a specimen collected by Harvey on Table Mountain, A. subulata has subsequently been collected on the East African Islands and in Australia, New Zealand and southern South America. The species has been re-collected several times in the Flora area, but only on Table Mountain.

    Distribution Map

     
    • Native distribution
    Found in
    • Southern America Brazil Rio de Janeiro

     Information From

    Andreaeaceae
    https://about.worldfloraonline.org/tens/bryophytesgroup
    World Flora Online Data. 2022.
    • A CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0).
    e-Flora of South Africa
    e-Flora of South Africa. v1.36. 2022. South African National Biodiversity Institute. http://ipt.sanbi.org.za/iptsanbi/resource?r=flora_descriptions&v=1.36
    • B All Rights Reserved
    Brazilian Flora 2020 project - Projeto Flora do Brasil 2020
    http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br
    Brazil Flora G (2014): Brazilian Flora 2020 project - Projeto Flora do Brasil 2020. v393.147. Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro. Dataset/Checklist. doi:10.15468/1mtkaw
    • C Group Brazil Flora, REFLORA Program
    Moss Flora of Central America
    World Flora Online Data. 2024.
    • D Missouri Botanical Garden
    World Flora Online consortium
    http://www.worldfloraonline.org/organisation/WFO
    World Flora Online Data. 2024.
    • E All Rights Reserved
    • F CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0).