Orthothecium intricatum (Hartm.) Bruch, Schimp. & W. Gümbel, Bryol. Eur.

9. Orthothecium intricatum (Hartm.) Bruch, Schimp. & W. Gümbel, Bryol. Eur. View in CoL 5: 108. 1851.

— Leskea intricata Hartm., Handb. Skand. Fl. (ed. 5) 336. 1849. Figs. 25 B–G, I–L View Fig , 26 C, F–H View Fig .

Description: Plants small, brownish-green or reddishgolden, glossy. Stems 1.0– 1.5 cm long. Leaves erect, appressed or erect-spreading, terete or slightly secund, (1.5–) 1.7–2.0× 0.3–0.4 mm, lanceolate or narrow lanceolate, gradually tapered to narrow acumen, scarcely narrowed to insertion, not decurrent, smooth; margins plane or weakly recurved at places; cells in mid-leaf 45–80×5–6 µm, ± thin-walled, not porose, basal cells in 1–2 rows shorter and wider, with thicker, porose walls, alar cells not differentiated. Specialized asexual reproduction by axillary gemmae often present, gemmae 60–80×10–17 µm. Sporophytes rare [unknown in Russia]. Setae 1–2 cm. Capsules 1.4 mm long, erect or slightly inclined, oblong or shortly cylindric. Opercula conical, with short obtuse apex. Annuli revoluble. Peristome slightly reduced; exostome teeth narrow and short, pale, striolate below on dorsal surface, finely papillose close to apex; endostome basal membrane 1/3 of peristome height, segments narrow and sometimes short, cilia absent or up to 3/4 of segment length. Spores 8–12 µm [sporophyte features based on material from Scandinavia].

Distribution and ecology. Orthothecium intricatum is mainly a montane species, known also from Svalbard, Greenland and Arctic Canada. It occurs in most mountain areas of Europe, northern Africa, Caucasus, Crimea, the mountains of Middle Asia, Himalayas, and Japan, but the southernmost localities in North America are in Quebec. In European Russia its distribution is confined to the mountain regions of Caucasus, South and North Urals, and Kola Peninsula. In Asian Russia it occurs only in southern Siberia. Its records from northern areas of Asian Russia were based on misidentified specimens, mainly of O. strictum . It grows on calcareous cliffs and rock outcrops, often in crevices and cavities and also often near waterfalls and on sites with seeping water.

Selected specimens examined: RUSSIA: Karachaevo-Circassian Republic: Teberda Nature Reserve, Amanauz Creek, Ignatov & Ignatova 05-3488 (MHA). Crimea: Plateau Chatyrdag (between Simferopol and Alushta, 18.VIII.1995 Ignatov s.n. (MHA). Republic of Altai: left branch of Kayra Creek near Kayrabazhi Peak, 14.VII.1991 Ignatov 13/193 (MHA); Altaisky Nature Reserve, Teletskoye Lake, Kamga Creek, 6.VI.1989 Ignatov 0/ 1022 (MHA). [Krasnoyarsk Territory], Western Sayan Mts, Olen’ya Rechka, 21.VI.1968 Bardunov s.n. (MHA ex IRK).

EUROPE: Norway: Hordaland, Ullensvang, 15.VIII.1992, Hedenäs s.n. (S, B295978). Sweden: Jämtland, Berg, Hoverberget, Rämnan, 13.VI.1996, Hallingbäck TH 45376 (S, B217022); Härjedalen, Storsjö, Mt. Skarsfjället, 8.VII.2002, Hedenäs s.n. (S, B74649); Norrbotten, Tärendö, 20.VI.1962, Lönnqvist 952 (S, B181125); Gotland, Kräklingbo, 19.IX.1987, Hedenäs s.n. (S, B147848). United Kingdom: Scotland, Inverness, 27.VII.1956, Een UK175 (S, B24281); England, Westmorland, 17.IX.1958, Perry s.n. (S, B24280).

Differentiation: Orthothecium intricatum can most likely be confused with narrow-leaved morphotypes of the very variable O. strictum ( Fig. 17C, H, O View Fig ). In such cases flat vs. narrowly recurved leaf margins and secund vs. terete leaves are helpful for their recognition. However, a specimen with characters of both these species (i.e., falcate-secund leaves with narrowly recurved margins) was once collected in Ulakhan-Chistai Mt. Range in Yakutia ( Fig. 21 View Fig ) and is discussed under O. strictum . The differentiation from O. aff. rufescens from Altai is discussed under the latter species.