Speciemen # 4 Timmia austriaca

                                                         FIG 1. Timmia austriaca

                                                              Fig. 2. a close look at the capsules of Timmia austriaca










Name: Timmia austriaca

Family: Timmiaceae

Collection Date: 05/10/2011

Habitat:  "This rare species grows on dry or damp, base-rich rock ledges at high altitudes, within an open turf of herbs and other mosses."(Parley 553)

Location: West Woods

Description: plants form reddish brown tufts, upto 10 cm in length.

Collector: Getachew Hatsey

Key Used: Conard, H.S. and P.L. Redfearn, Jr. 1979. How to Know the Mosses and Liverworts 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, Boston, Mass.

Keying Steps:

Introduction Key pg. 19

1a. Plants with stems and leaves; leaves spaced equally around the stem or...leaf cells elongate and isodiametric...rhizoids multicellular..sporophyte long lived..........................2

2b. Plants not as above...................3

3b. plants not as above....................(p.28) Subclass 3. BRYDAE.

key to Genera  Bryidae

1b. Green plants...empty cells at the base, apex, or margin of leaf.............3

3b. Leaves inserted in three or more rows, plant sometimes strongly flattened.........7

7b. plants with a peristome of more than 4 teeth or peristome teeth absent.........8

8b. Leaves well developed and persistent.............9

9b. Capsule and leaves not as above...................10

10b. Plants with a distinct stem .............17

17b. plants large, capsule exserted; grows on trees.........20

20b. leaves without such outgrowth; sometimes with deciduous gemmae...............28

28b. Peristome when present single or double... growing on various substrates but not restricted to rich organic soil, bones, or other organic matter..........33

33a. stems erect, unbranched, or with branches erect, generally in tufts; archegonia and sporophytes terminal (may appear lateral because of innovative branches arising below the sporophytes.)...............34

34b. leaves, especially the bases, not as above..................................36

36a. Leaf cells conspicuosly bulging or bulging mammillose, at least on the upper (ventral) side, or papillose with papillae not, or scarcely, including the cell cavity, or roughned by fine longitudinal ridges............................37

37a. Leaf cells conspicuously bulging mammilose, at least on upper surface......................38

38a. leaf cells mammillose on upper side; smooth or slightly papillose on lower side...............39

39b, leaf cells mainly in one layer...............40

40a. leaves broadly lanceolate from a broader base; calyptra often adhering to the tip of seta after falling from the mature capsule.............................(p.139) Timmia

Key to Family Timmiaceae
1b. leaf sheath orange to brown...............................Timmia austriaca.

"plants in robust, tomentose, reddish brown tufts, up to 15cm high, on soil or rocks, pacific Northwest to Nevada, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota and Michigan."(Conrad and Redfearn, 1979)

Links:

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200001586
http://www.bbsfieldguide.org.uk/content/timmia-austriaca
http://www.jstor.org/pss/3239852
http://www.jstor.org/pss/3242346