Fossombronia angulosa Fossombroniaceae

Picture 1 Spores and elaters Purple rhizoids

Fossombronia angulosa 97kb

Description - A large Fossombronia species that has less frilly leaves than Fossombronia husnotii.

Habitat - Very common in spring along all the roadside banks in the island, usually at the base of the bank where the earth is eroded by traffic

Comments - Like almost all other Fossombronia species it has purple rhizoids. Many Fossombronia psecies can only be distingushed by the spores. This species is distinctive with flanges between the spines on its spores. The picture also shows the elaters, long cells with spiral thickening that are hygroscopic and help to release the spores.

The moss in Picture 1 is Fissidens bryoides.



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