Great Basin Naturalist

Volume 42 Number 4 Article 12

12-31-1982

Distribution of the family in Nevada

Matt Lavin Reno, Nevada

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Recommended Citation Lavin, Matt (1982) "Distribution of the moss family Grimmiaceae in Nevada," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 42 : No. 4 , Article 12. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol42/iss4/12

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. DISTRIBUTION OF THE MOSS FAMILY GRIMMIACEAE IN NEVADA

Matt Lavin'

.Abstract.- Twenty-six taxa of Grimniiaceae are listed from Nevada, all representing the genera and Rhacomitnum. Rhacomitriwn heterostichum (Hedw.) Brid. var. heterostichum and Grimmia atricha C. Muell & Kindb. ex Mac. Kindb. are listed for the first & time as occurring in Nevada. Within the state, the Mohave Desert the Great Basin desert, and the Sierra Nevada display unique composition of members of the Grimmiaceae Grimmia anochn is the most widespread moss in the state. Others, such as Grimmia rivulare, G. conferta, and G. alpicola in- habit only the montane environments of northeastern Nevada.

Nearly 1000 collection or observation sites sidium ahherans, C. griseum, and the hepatic throughout Nevada were visited during the Targonia heterophylla. Grimmia affinis, orig- past four years that the moss family Grim- inally described as autoicous, is dioicous in miaceae has been under investigation. Two Nevada. This agrees with Flowers (1973). genera make up this family in Nevada, Mesic habitats in this southern desert are Grimmia and Rhacomitrium. , in found in unusual abundance in the deep can- this paper, is used as a subgenus under the yons of the Spring Mountains just west of Las Grimrnia. Vegas. Here, Grimmia ovalis, G. pulvinata, These constitute a modest percent- G. stricta, and G. atricha grow, along with age of biomass in many communities of other common mosses such as Anacolia men- Nevada. They are restricted to rock habitat, ziesii, Brachythecium collinum, Encalypta in- although Grimmia occidentalis is occasionally termedia (i.e. Encalypta intermedia), and Or- foimd on the base of trees near stream sides. thotrichum cupulatum. Grimmia ovalis forms Grimmia subgenus Grimmia generally occurs unusually long stems in this area, up to 6 cm on dry, exposed rock, but Griminia subgenus in length. Schistidium, and Rhacomitrium occur on G. pulvinata, G. atricha, and G. stricta oc- rock that is or has been inundated by water cur throughout the Pacific Northwest and from spring snow melt, or deep within rock might, therefore, be expected to occur in crevices that offer protection from exposure more northerly portions of Nevada. How- to the sun and heat. ever, the only Nevada collections come from Members of the Grimmiaceae display the southern part of the state. Grimmia at- unique composition in three geographical richa is reported from the Spring Mountains by a collection of Dr. H. areas in Nevada. These areas are (1) the Mo- Mozingo, University of Nevada, have Desert in the very southern part of the Reno. This represents possibly the most southern distribution for state, (2) the Great Basin desert and associ- this . Many endemic and relictual vascular ated mountain ranges, which includes most of occur on this range and this moss could be a the state, and (3) the Sierra Nevada in the holdover from Pleistocene vegetation. very western portion of the state. The Great Basin Desert vegetation is domi- The Mohave Desert vegetation is domi- nated by Artemisia tridentata (big sage), nated by such vascular plants as Yucca hrevi- Pinus monophylla (single leaf pinyon pine), folia (Joshua tree) and Larrea tridentata and Juniperus osteosperma (Utah juniper). (creosote bush). In this desert, Grimmia or- Cryptogamically, it is dominated by Grimmia bicularis, G. wrightii, G. anodon, and G. af- tenerrima, G. anodon, and G. calyptrata. finis are the dominant and practically the These three mosses commonly grow together only mosses, sometimes codominating the at practically all elevations. Grimmia calyp- cryptogamic flora with Tortula inermis, Cros- trata inhabits predominantly the north-

'P.O. Box 13494, Reno, Nevada 89507.

583 584 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 42, No. 4 western exposures, and G. tenerrima and G. ecologically replaced by G. orbicularis in the anodon assume the somewhat more protected south. They both inhabit very exposed rock northeast exposures. As G. tenerrima is and .superficially resemble each other with dioicous, the male and female plants appear regard to long hairpoints on the leaves and as separate entities due to differences in the the large rounded clumps they both form (re- lengths of the hairpoints. The male plant, sembling small hedgehogs). with very short hairpoints, is often confused On the granitic boulders that follow with G. anodon. G. anodon, however, is au- Salmon Falls Creek in Elko County of north- toicous, thereby making the two easily eastern Nevada, G. poecilostoma occurs, far separable. north of its otherwise reported range. This widespread Grimmia anodon has the most moss has supposedly a more southern distri- probably any plant species in distribution of bution, including New Mexico, Texas, and plants in southern Nevada have Nevada. Tlie Arizona. a much greener appearance, shorter hair- In extremely dry situations, such as the flat points, and more erect stems than the same desert country in westcentral Nevada, species from the north. Grimmia calyptrata, Grimmia anodon is almost the only existing although abundant in northern Nevada, is not moss, inhabiting mostly low lying, flat rock. foimd in southern Nevada. It is, apparently. Mosses commonly occurring with the species of this part of the Great Ba- Table 1. A list of the Grimmiaceae in Nevada. No- Grimmia menclature for Grimmia subgenus Grimmia and Rhcico- sin include Brachythecium collinum, Dicrano- Nomenclature mitriwn generally follows Lawton (1971). wesia crispula, Encahjpta intermedia, Or- for the specific epithet in Grimmia subgenus Schistidium thotrichum cupulatiim, O. jamesiamim, O. is based on Deguchi (1979). laevigatum f. macounii, Pseudoleskeella tecto- Grimmia (subgenus Grimmia) rum, Pterygoneiirnm ovatiim, P. subsessile, affinis Hornsch. Timmia megapolitana, Tortula papillosissima, anodon B.S.G. and T. ruralis. calyptrata Hook, ex Drumm. melt rvuioff in the laevigata Brid. Following spring snow montana B.S.G. high mountains of the Great Basin, rocks are orbicularis Bnich. inhabited by a few members of Grimmia sub- ovalis (Hedw.) Lindb. genus Schistidium. These species include G. plagiopodia Hedw. and G. poecilostoma Card. & Seb. occidentalis, G. rivtdare, G. alpicola, pulvinata (Hedw.) Small pacifica. These mostly occur by themselves, = alpestris [Web. & tenerrima Ren. & Card. (SY G. but may occur with such mosses as Lescuraea Mohr] Nees) incurvata or Orthotrichum rividare. These torquata Hornsch. var. torquata to al- trichopbijlla Grev. mosses nearly always inhabit montane wrightii (Sull.) Aust. pine environments. However, G. occidentalis, Grimmia (subgenus Schistidium) along with Orthotrichum rividare, was ob- alpicola Hedw. (SY = G. agassizii (Sull. & Lesq. ex served to occur in the pinyon-juniper wood- Sull.) & Sauerb. See Bremer (1980) and Jaeg. lands of the Virginia Range of westcentral Deguchi (1979 and 1979a) for nomenclature of this Nevada. entity.) Santa alpicola var. latifolia (Zett.) Moll. Grimmia pacifica, collected in the ambigiia Sull. Rosa Range of northcentral Nevada, is a very apocarpa Hedw. interesting plant. The spores measure up to atricha C. Muell & Kindberg ex Macoun & Kindberg jum in diameter, and the upper portions of conferta Funck 30 flaccida (DeNot.) Lindb. the leaves are keeled with some of the lower occidentalis Lawton leaf margins slightly recurved. This lends pacifica Lawton some doubt as to its identification, but Law- rivularis Brid. (SY = G. alpicola var. rivularis [Brid.] indicates that this species is rarely Wahlenb.) ton (1980) stricta Turn. collected and it may be another variable spe- Personal observa- Rhacomitrium cies in the Grimmiaceae. beterostichum (Hedw.) Brid. var. beterosticbum tion of this specimen plus other specimens (verified by Lawton, 1981) from the Pacific Northwest have suggested December 1982 Lavin: Nevada Mosses 585

that this entity may be nothing more than an in Nevada, to this area. Of particular interest ecotype of G. apocarpa. in the Sierra Nevada is the absence of G. The most successful member of Schisti- anodon. This is unusual because this moss is dium in Nevada is G. flaccida. It is the only the most widespread in the state, occurring Schistidium that inhabits extremely dry rock in all counties and elevations from below 300 outcrops in this state. It is mostly not found m in the south to over 4000 m on top of on extreme exposures (southwest faces) but is Mount Moriah in east central Nevada. One more commonly found within protected rock specimen of G. anodon was found in the crevices Sierra on northern exposures. In Nevada, it Nevada just west of Carson City on is interesting to note that the most common Snow Valley Peak. It is a very atypical speci- men in Grimmia, G. anodon, and the most common that its seta ranges from straight to arcuate Schistidium, G. flaccida, are the only two and the calyptra is large and cucul- late, as well as typically members of the Grimmiaceae in Nevada that small and mitrate. Substrate does not appear to completely lack a peristome. The latter spe- have a role in the exclusion of G. anodon from cies is common in northern Nevada even the Sierra Nevada. The granodiorites of the though records appear to the contrary. Fox, Sell- inite. Granite, and Wassuk ranges of western In the northeastern portion of Nevada, the Nevada are inhabited frequently by G. ano- Great Basin has a greater diversity of dry don. These granodiorites are similar and gen- rock Grimmia. Aside from the three domi- etically related to the granodiorite of the nants previously listed, G. ovalis, G. poecilo- Sierra Nevada Batholith (Hibbard 1982). stoma, G. apocarpa, and G. flaccida occur in Snow pack or summer aridity of the Sierra greater abimdance. Grimmia ambigua and G. doesn't play a role either: G. anodon occurs conferta, also occur in this area, but more in high montane habitats throughout the commonly inhabit deep crevices or shady Great Basin, as well as throughout the desert north faces of rocks and boulders. Grimmia areas of the state. conferta, in its habitat and general appear- Rock inundated by spring snow melt runoff ance, appears to be a link that connects the in the Sierra Nevada provides habitat for subgenera Schistidium and Grimmia. In both Grimmia occidentalis and G. apocarpa. Wyoming, Idaho, and parts of northeastern These are fairly common mosses throughout Nevada, this moss forms small rounded the entirety of the high montane habitats in the clumps on exposed rock surfaces, a habit typ- southern Sierra. Also present is Rhacom- ical of members of Grimmia subgenus trium heterostichum var. heterostickum, but Grimmia. very rarely in the Nevada portion of the Sierra Nevada. The Jarbidge, Ruby, East Humboldt, and These wet rock mosses occur by themselves and dry rock Snake mountains are located in the north- Grimmia occur commonly with Dicranoweisia crispula, En- eastern portion of Nevada. It is in these clypta vtdgaris var. vulgaris, Homalothecium moimtains that many vascular plants from nevademe, Orthotrichum laevigatum, f. ma- the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest counii, O. praemorsum, O. pylaissi, Tortula make their only appearance in Nevada. papillosissima, and T. princeps. These vascular plants include Abies lasio- carpa, Silene acaulis, Saxifraga caespitosa, Arctostaplujlos iwa-ursi. Primula parryi, Se- laginella selaginoides, and Astragalus aborigi- Acknowledgments num. Along the same lines, the montane en- vironments in northeastern Nevada provide This study was funded in part by a grant habitat for G. alpicola, G. ambigua, G. con- from Sigma Xi. I am especially grateful to ferta, G. rivulare, and G. alpicola var. Dr. Elva Lawton for determination and veri- latifolia. fication of many specimens. I thank Dr. Rich- The Sierra Nevada, characterized by the ard Rust and Dr. H. Mozingo, University of Jeffery pine, lodgepole pine, red fir, and Nevada, for providing much of the field whitebark pine forests, is dominated, with re- transportation throughout Nevada. Addition- gard to mosses, by Grimmia tenerrima and G. ally, I thank Dr. Dale Vitt, University of Al- montana. Grimmia trichophylla and G. tor- berta, for identifying the associated species, quata are present and appear to be imique. namely Orthotrichum. No. 4 586 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 42,

G. af finis G, anodon G, calyptrata

G. laevigata G. montana G. orbicularis

G. ovalis G. T3la;j:iQPodia G, poecilostoma

G. pulvinata G. tenerrima G. torquata

Representative specimens are deposited at the University of Fig. 1. Distribution of the Grimmiaceae of Nevada. observations of the author, collections of Washington Seattle (WTU). Distribution data come from collections and given by Lawton (1958). Grimmia torquata was Dr. H. Mozingo, the University of Nevada, and literature citations is used. not found during the course of this study so the location given by Lawton (1958) December 1982 Lavin: Nevada Mosses 587

G, trichophvlla \i f^. wri^^htii G, alpicola var, alpicola

G, _alpicola G. ambigua G. apocarpa ^ar. latifolia

G, atricha G, conf ert G, flaccida

G. occidental j r \ \ G. pacifica G. rivularis

Fig. 1 continued. 588 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 42, No. 4

G, striata R, heterostichunr var. hetorostichunf

Fig. 1 continued.

Literature Cited synonyme Schistidium agassizii Sull. et Lesq. Rev. Bryol. Lichenol. 45(4):425-435. Bremer, B. 1980. Proposal to reject the names Grimmia Flowers, S. 1973. Mosses of Utah and the West. Brig- alpicola Sw. ex Hedw. and Schistidiinn alpicola ham Young University Press, Provo, Utah. (Sw. ex Hedw.) Linipr. (Griminiaceae). Taxon HiBBARD, M. 1982. Personal communication. University 29:337-339. of Nevada, Reno. Deguchi, H. 1979. A revision of the genera Grimmia. Lawton, E. 1958. Mosses of Nevada. Brvologist ol 61:314-340. Schistidium, and (Musci) Japan. J. Sci. Hiroshima University, Series B, Div. 2, 1971. Moss Flora of the Pacific Northwest. Hat- 16:121-2.50. tori Botanical Laboratory. Nichinan. 1979a. Les veritables caracteres de Schistidium 1980. Personal communication. University of alpicolum (Sw. ex Hedw.) Limpr. et son nouveau Washington, Seattle.