Montana Field Guide

Plants: Acrocarpous. Growing in upright clumps, green to green with yellow tones above, brown below, with deciduous and longer, fragile-based leaves above (FNA 2007). Stems 2-7 cm tall (Lawton 1971); possessing a central stand; rhizoids numerous (FNA 2007).

Leaves: Appressed, overlapping to curled and twisted when dry, spreading a little when hydrated, lance-shaped; sheath base (enveloping the stem) fragile and not well-developed, transparent in the upper leaves, brown to black with reddish-orange tones in leaves below; the non-clasping limb roughly toothed above, less toothed, wavy or nearly smooth below, green; transition from sheath to limb gradual; costa single, robust, extending to just below to beyond the leaf tip (FNA 2007).

Leaf Cells: Costa papillate on the dorsal surface or with terminal teeth, mammillate on the ventral surface, in X-section at mid-limb with large dorsal and ventral cells, 2 stereid bands, and large guide cells; sheath laminal cells rectangular, wider and shorter near the transition to the limb, longer and more slender near the margins, with 0-8 large, rough papillae on the dorsal surface of the lumen; limb laminal cells with high mammillae on the ventral surface, the dorsal surface smooth; cells at leaf attachment fragile and hyaline for 1 or more rows (FNA 2007).

Timmia norvegia var. norvegica: Present in Montana.
Somewhat coarse; leaves 3-12 mm in length, 0.8-1.1 mm in width; costa base deeply colored, more firmly connected to the stem than to the lamina; the upper leaves falling and frequently larger than those below, but never with bunches of loose leaves at the end of the stem (FNA 2007).


Timmia norvegica var. excurrens:
Usually smaller and finer than plants of var. norvegica; leaves 2-6 mm in length; costa base lightly colored, excurrent, not connected to the stem more firmly than the lamina; bunches of loose leaves occasionally at the end of the stem (FNA 2007).

Timmia norvegica has fragile leaf bases, unlike T. austriaca and T. megapolitana, and its sheath-limb transition is more gradual (FNA 2007).

Variety norvegica: Calciphilic; wet habitats like seepy hillsides, wet fissures and rock shelves, and streambanks. Elevation: 0-11,810 feet (FNA 2007).

Variety excurrens: Calciphilic; protected limestone bluffs near rivers. Elevation: 3-4920 feet (FNA 2007).

Dioicous. Stem grows through and beyond the perigonia; perigonia each with 5-40 antheridia; perichaetia each with 1-6 archegonia. Capsules generally 2.5-3 mm in length; exostome teeth yellow below, lighter in color or transparent above; endostome with 64 knobby, papillose cilia that are transversely ridged interiorly (FNA 2007).

Variety norvegica: Very seldom fruiting (FNA 2007).