''Kiaeria'' is a genus of
haplolepideous moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular plant, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic phylum, division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Wilhelm Philippe Schimper, Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryo ...
es (
Dicranidae
The Dicranidae are a widespread and diverse subclass of mosses in class Bryopsida, with many species of dry or disturbed areas. They are distinguished by their spores; the peristome teeth are haplolepideous with a 4:2:3 formula, and an exostome ...
) of the family
Dicranaceae
Dicranaceae is a family of haplolepideous mosses ( Dicranidae) in class Bryopsida. Species within this family are dioicous. Genera in this family include '' Dicranum'', '' Dicranoloma'', and '' Mitrobryum''.
Classification
The family Dicranac ...
. The genus is named after Franz Caspar Kiaer (1835-1893), a Norwegian doctor and bryologist.
Description
The moss is similar to small ''
Dicranum
''Dicranum'' is a genus of mosses, also called wind-blown mosses or fork mosses.
These mosses form in densely packed clumps. In general, upright stems will be single but packed together. ''Dicranum'' is distributed globally. In North America th ...
'' species and form loose to dense cushions. The stems are erect, 1-2 inches high (occasionally higher) and are sparsely fibrous with rhizoids below. The leaves are lanceolate, erect-spreading, sometimes falcate, with full margins, to cut up against the blade tip, with emerging veining. The leaf cells are elongated at the leaf base and smooth, the top sheet portion extends to approximately square and smooth. The leaf wing cells are clearly differentiated.
The spore capsule, at the end of the 7-16 millimeter-long
seta
In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.
Animal setae
Protostomes
Depending partly on their form and function, protostome setae may be called macrotrichia, chaetae, ...
is strumose and more or less inclined. The capsule lid is beaked. The
peristome
Peristome (from the Greek language, Greek ''peri'', meaning 'around' or 'about', and ''stoma'', 'mouth') is an anatomical feature that surrounds an opening to an organ or structure. Some plants, fungi, and shelled gastropods have peristomes.
In mo ...
teeth are divided in about the middle.
Distribution
Species of the genus ''Kiaeria'' are found in the northern hemisphere in the arctic and subalpine to alpine areas. They grow on silicate rocks and on the ground.
Species
The following species are recognised in the genus ''Kiaeria'':
* ''
Kiaeria falcata
''Kiaeria'' may refer to:
* ''Kiaeria'' (plant), a genus of plants of the family Dicranaceae
*''Kiaeria limuloides'', an extinct monotypic genus of chasmataspidid
See also
*'' Kiaeritia'', a genus of ostracod
Ostracods, or ostracodes, are a Cla ...
''
(Hedw.) I. Hagen - sickle kiaeria moss
* ''
Kiaeria inundata
''Kiaeria'' may refer to:
* ''Kiaeria'' (plant), a genus of plants of the family Dicranaceae
*''Kiaeria limuloides'', an extinct monotypic genus of chasmataspidid
See also
*'' Kiaeritia'', a genus of ostracod
Ostracods, or ostracodes, are a Cla ...
''
(Cardot) Brinda, Ignatov & Fedosov
* ''
Kiaeria lewinskyae
''Kiaeria'' may refer to:
* ''Kiaeria'' (plant), a genus of plants of the family Dicranaceae
*''Kiaeria limuloides'', an extinct monotypic genus of chasmataspidid
See also
*'' Kiaeritia'', a genus of ostracod
Ostracods, or ostracodes, are a Cla ...
''
(J.K. Bartlett & Vitt) Brinda, Ignatov & Fedosov
* ''
Kiaeria robusta
''Kiaeria'' may refer to:
* ''Kiaeria'' (plant), a genus of plants of the family Dicranaceae
*''Kiaeria limuloides'', an extinct monotypic genus of chasmataspidid
See also
*'' Kiaeritia'', a genus of ostracod
Ostracods, or ostracodes, are a Cla ...
''
(Hampe) Brinda, Ignatov & Fedosov
References
* Jan-Peter Frahm, Wolfgang Frey, J. Döring. ''Moosflora''. 4th ed., UTB Verlag, 2004,
* Nebel, Philippi: ''Die Moose Baden-Württembergs Band 2''. 1st ed., Ulmer Verlag, 2005,
* Wolfgang Frey, Eberhard Fischer, Michael Stech: ''Bryophytes and seedless Vascular Plants''. In: Wolfgang Frey (ed.): ''Syllabus of Plant Families'' - ''A. Engler's Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien''. 13th ed. vol. 3, Borntraeger, Berlin/Stuttgart 2009,
Notes
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1740751
Moss genera
Rhabdoweisiaceae