Leucobryum

Leucobryum glaucum, photographed by Algirdas.

Belongs within: Bryophyta.

Leucobryum is a large genus of mostly tropical mosses that grow as compact cushions. The genus name ('white moss') is derived from the whitish appearance of the plants when dry, resulting from the presence of rows of colourless cells in the edge of the leaf. Notable species include L. albidum and L. glaucum, widespread in North America and Eurasia; L. glaucum grows taller than L. albidum (Dixon 1924).

Characters (from Smith & Smith 2004): Plants robust, forming compact cushions. Leaves composed mainly of costa, with lamina restricted to a few rows of narrow hyaline cells towards the base; costa in section of two to several rows of hyaline cells with large irregular pores in inner walls, with a central layer of small chlorophyllous cells. Sporophytes relatively small.

<==Leucobryum Hampe 1839 [Leucobryeae] SK02
    |--L. aduncum Dozy & Molk. 1854 SK02
    |    |--L. a. var. aduncum (see below for synonymy) SK02
    |    |--L. a. var. scalare (Müll.Hal.) Eddy 1990 [=L. scalare Müll.Hal. ex Fleischer 1904] SK02
    |    `--L. a. var. teysmannianum (Dozy & Molk.) Yamag. 1993 [=L. teysmannianum Dozy & Molk. 1855] SK02
    |--L. albicans J87
    |--L. albidum [=Dicranum albidum] D24
    |--L. antillarum J87
    |--L. ballinense Broth. 1916 SK02
    |--L. bowringii SK02
    |    |--L. b. var. bowringii SK02
    |    `--L. b. var. sericeum (Broth. ex Geh.) Dixon 1932 SK02
    |--L. candidum (Brid. ex Palisot de Beauvois) Wilson 1854 (see below for synonymy) SK02
    |--L. chlorophyllosum Müll.Hal. 1851 [incl. L. stenophyllum Besch. 1873] SK02
    |--L. glaucum [=Dicranum glaucum] SK02
    |--L. javense (Brid.) Mitt. 1859 SK02
    |--L. sanctum (Brid.) Hampe 1839 [incl. L. vesiculosum] SK02
    |--L. subchlorophyllosum Hampe 1876 [incl. L. subchlorosum Hampe 1881 (n. n.)] SK02
    |--L. turgidulum Müll.Hal. 1900 SK02
    `--L. wattsii Broth. 1916 SK02

Nomina nuda: Leucobryum baileyanum Müll.Hal. ex Muell. 1880 SK02
             Leucobryum baileyi Müll.Hal. ex Kindb. 1891 SK02
             Leucobryum camerae Müll.Hal. 1901 SK02
             Leucobryum flavescens Müll.Hal. 1901 SK02
             Leucobryum minutum Müll.Hal. 1901 SK02
             Leucobryum pseudocandidum Broth. 1893 SK02
             Leucobryum schimperi Watts & Whitel. 1902 SK02
             Leucobryum speirostichellum SK02

Leucobryum aduncum Dozy & Molk. 1854 var. aduncum [incl. Dicranum brachyphyllum, L. brachyphyllum Hampe ex Müll.Hal. 1843, L. brachyphyllum var. humile, L. brachyphyllum var. minus, L. candidum var. pentastichum (Dozy & Molk.) Dixon 1923, L. speirostichum, L. strictifolium] SK02

Leucobryum candidum (Brid. ex Palisot de Beauvois) Wilson 1854 [=Dicranum candidum; incl. L. confusum Thér. 1922, L. conocladulum (n. n.), L. candidum var. major Jaeger 1873 (n. n.), Dicranum candidum var. majus, L. brachyphyllum var. majus, L. candidum var. majus (Schwägr.) Jaeger ex Dixon 1923, Dicranum candidum var. minus, L. spinidorsum] SK02

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[D24] Dixon, H. N. 1924. The Student's Handbook of British Mosses 3rd ed. V. V. Sumfield: Eastbourne.

[J87] Judd, W. S. 1987. Floristic study of Morne La Visite and Pic Macaya National Parks, Haiti. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum—Biological Sciences 32 (1): 1–136.

Smith, A. J. E., & R. Smith. 2004. The Moss Flora of Britain and Ireland, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.

[SK02] Streimann, H., & N. Klazenga. 2002. Catalogue of Australian Mosses. Flora of Australia Supplementary Series 17. Australian Biological Resources Study: Canberra.

Last updated: 18 December 2017.