BANISTERIA A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA \ Sry HS yl NYY ‘ow = su x As WHR. Mh STN VANS ’ y \s Atrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P. Beauv. 162 species of mosses of the Piedmont of Virginia are the subject of this special issue Number 21 ISSN 1066-0712 2003 BANISTERIA A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA ISSN 1066-0712 Published by the Virginia Natural History Society The Virginia Natural History Society (VNHS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the dissemination of scientific information on all aspects of natural history in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Membership in VNHS includes a subscription to Banisteria. Annual dues are $15.00 (per calendar year); library subscriptions to Banisteria are $30.00. Subscribers/members outside the United States should add $3.00 for additional postage. Checks should be made payable to the Virginia Natural History Society. Membership dues and inquires should be directed to the Secretary-Treasurer (address, page 2); correspondence regarding Banisteria to one of the co-editors. Banisteria 1s a peer-reviewed journal. For additional information regarding the VNHS, including other membership categories and instructions for prospective authors of Banisteria papers, consult our website at: http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/vnhs/ Editorial Staff: Banisteria Co-editors Joseph C. Mitchell, Department of Biology University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia 23173 Steven M. Roble, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Natural Heritage, 217 Governor Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 Associate Editors Richard L. Hoffman, Virginia Museum of Natural History Martinsville, Virginia 24112 Alfred G. Wheeler, Jr., Department of Entomology Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634 Thomas F. Wieboldt, Department of Biology Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 Banisteria No. 20 was published on 21 February 2003. Cover: Atrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P. Beauv.; source: Bennett, A. W., & G Murray. 1889. A Handbook of Cryptogamic Botany. Longman’s, Green, and Co., London. 473 pp. (as Catharinea undulata). BANISTERIA A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA Number 21, 2003 Table of Contents Common and Occasional Bryophytes of the Virginia Piedmont TB YeRcReh Sod 1.5L Seiad. a ener PA ch POR ta tok eer ehh en 506: nosis POR Re EER Ah ee NE 3 Miscellanea Virginia Natural History Society Officers President Barbara J. Abraham Department of Biological Sciences Hampton University Hampton, Virginia 23668 (term expires December, 2004) Vice President Judith E. Winston Virginia Museum of Natural History 1001 Douglas Avenue Martinsville, Virginia 24112 (term expires December, 2004) Secretary-Treasurer Anne C. Lund Department of Biology Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, Virginia 23943 (term expires December, 2004) Councilors Paul Bedell 10120 Silverleaf Terrace Richmond, Virginia 23236 (term expires December, 2004) Michael W. Donahue 147 Southampton Drive Vinton, Virginia 24179 (term expires December, 2006) Thomas J. McAvoy Department of Entomology Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (term expires December, 2004) Honorary Councilors Richard L. Hoffman Michael Kosztarab Banisteria, Number 21, 2003 © 2003 by the Virginia Natural History Society Common and Occasional Bryophytes of the Virginia Piedmont David A. Breil Department of Natural Sciences Longwood College Farmville, Virginia 23909 INTRODUCTION' With the publication of “Liverworts and hornworts of the Virginia Piedmont” (Banisteria 8: 3-28), Dr. David Breil brought to fruition (in part) his years of study of the bryophytes of this central region of Virginia. His stated purpose in the earlier publication is continued here, that is, “to write an illustrated guide to the regional species of these too often ignored plants,” and “to make the citizens of this pygmy plant world understandable and accessible to naturalists who may have been discouraged from their study by the lack of a means of identification” (Breil, 1996). ' Prior to his death on March 3, 1997, Dr. David Breil had completed the substance of a manuscript on mosses of the Virginia Piedmont. Illustrations had been contracted to Susan A. Williams of Rowe, Massachusetts, and were approaching completion. As the only resident bryologist in Virginia, Dr. Breil’s work filled a void not only in subject matter, but in its geographic coverage as well. The body of the manuscript 1s reproduced here essentially without change to preserve Dr. Breil’s taxonomic concepts (minor changes are noted in the manuscript). Dr. Jonathan Shaw of Duke University recommended a few places where a better name might be used. Accessory portions of this paper (Introduction, Glossary, Literature Cited, Checklist, and Plates) were compiled by Thomas F. Wieboldt of Virginia Tech, to provide a similarly formatted companion paper to Dr. Breil’s “Liverworts and hornworts of the Virginia Piedmont”. The Introduction borrows heavily from the earlier paper but is adapted and expanded to address mosses rather than liverworts and hornworts. Definitions in the glossary are adapted slightly from Glossarium Polyglottum Bryologiae on the Missouri Botanical Garden’s bryology website. Plates were assembled digitally by Thomas F. Wieboldt. Despite the moss flora being larger, 158 species, compared with the 67 liverworts and hornworts (hepatics), the level of detail and coverage is similar. To bring this work into an historical perspective, a brief review of bryophyte exploration in Virginia follows. The bryophyte flora of Virginia is imperfectly known as evidenced by the relatively few publications on Virginia mosses. Little attention was paid to Virginia until the end of the 19th century (Patterson, 1949). An excellent synopsis of early bryological exploration is given by Anderson & Zander (1973), a few highlights of which are reiterated here. The earliest moss collections from Virginia were probably those of John Banister who sent specimens to John Ray in England. Ray published descriptions of Banister’s plants in two publications (Ray, 1686, 1690). The classic work Historia Muscorum by Dillenius (1741) acknowledged receiving plants from John Bartram, John Clayton, and John Mitchell. A study of Bartram’s mosses listed 18 of 55 species as being from Virginia (Buck & McLean, 1985), but Bartram traveled through Virginia only briefly. By comparison, Clayton and Mitchell were residents. All 32 mosses listed (as polynomials) by Gronovius 1n Flora Virginica (1762) are credited to Clayton. These were subsequently studied by Patterson (1965), who determined them according to the binomial system. Mitchell, who resided on the Rappahannock River, sent specimens to Dillenius. It was customary to publish only new species, so the number of specimens actually collected by these early botanists is unknown. Mention of Virginia bryophytes is almost completely lacking for the next century as most plant collectors merely traversed the state enroute westward or to the higher mountains to the south. Such was the case of Asa Gray accompanied by the well-known bryologist William S. Sullivant, who traveled through the mountains of southwestern Virginia in 1845 (Sullivant, 1846). Specific place names were given in 4 BANISTERIA only a few instances, so it is not possible to attribute collections specifically to Virginia in many cases (Patterson, 1949). In 1892, John K. Small and Anna Vail made the first extensive collection of bryophytes in the state in the vicinity of Marion (Small & Vail, 1893). Neither was a bryologist but their numerous collections were identified by Elizabeth Britton whose list of 158 species comprises a significant portion of the report. Britton also assisted Thomas Kearney who included 34 mosses in his botanical survey of the Dismal Swamp region of southeastern Virginia (Kearney, 1901). During the 1930s and 1940s, M.L. Fernald made nearly annual forays to southeastern Virginia to study the vascular flora. He was accompanied by Bayard Long, who collected 121 specimens of bryophytes, four of which were new to the known flora of Virginia (Patterson, 1951). The eminent bryologist Aaron J. Sharp of the University of Tennessee was the first of several bryologists to conduct field courses in bryology at the Mountain Lake Biological Station. Others to follow him were Paul M. Patterson, Rudolph M. Schuster, David A. Breil, and Susan Studlar. Patterson published several papers compiling the results of his and others’ studies (Patterson, 1940a, 1940b, 1943, 1944) which brought to 216 the total number of mosses reported for Giles County, the only reasonably well- studied region in Virginia. During 1944, the bryophyte flora of Shenandoah National Park was studied by Irma Schnooberger and Frances Wynne (1944) who reported 171 mosses for this relatively large and diverse area. Over a period of several years in the late 1940s, Hugh IItis made some 400 bryophyte collections in the vicinity of Fredericksburg, comprising parts of Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, and Stafford counties. Among the 109 mosses reported (Iltis, 1950), nine were recorded for the first time in Virginia. During the summers of 1949 and 1950, Bernard Mikula made about 600 bryophyte collections from 36 counties throughout the state, though mostly from the southeastern Coastal Plain. His specimens, housed at the Ozarks Regional Herbarium at Southwest Missouri State University, tallied 113 species and varieties, the more unusual of which were reported by Patterson (19533. Over a period of years, Patterson studied over 3,000 unreported collections made mostly by personnel associated with various colleges and universities, as well as the U.S. National Herbarium. These and his own collections (which numbered over 1,500 in 1953-1954 alone) covered much of the state No. 21, 2003 and resulted in numerous noteworthy records as well as 41 new state records which he published in his Bryophytes of Virginia series (Patterson, 1950, 1955). This brought the total number of mosses known to occur in Virginia to 365 species, yet he points out that the Piedmont is poorly represented (Patterson, 1950). In the more recent past, Douglas Ogle has collected widely and from diverse habitats across most of southwestern Virginia. His collections were almost entirely determined by David Breil and are now housed at VPI. Between 1989 and 1991, Christopher Clampitt made a concerted effort to insure that the sphagnum mosses were better known, and made hundreds of collections from across the state. All of his collections were determined authoritatively by Lewis Anderson of Duke University to give us a solid foundation for this interesting but complex group. Following his arrival at Longwood College in 1968 and continuing until his death in 1997, David Breil collected bryophytes throughout Virginia with primary emphasis on the central and southern Piedmont. This accumulated material, now part of the cryptogamic herbarium at Duke University, forms the basis for the following treatment. THE VIRGINIA PIEDMONT The Piedmont physiographic province extends in a NE - SW direction throughout the length of Virginia and is about 60 miles (96 km) wide at the northern end, broadening to about 120 miles (192 km) wide along the North Carolina border. The eastern edge of the Piedmont is formed by the Fall Line (at 30 m elevation), a series of rapids occurring in rivers (James, Rappahannock, Potomac, Appomattox, and Roanoke) draining to the east. The western boundary of the Piedmont is marked by the base of the Blue Ridge Mountain escarpment, about 300 m elevation. The Piedmont is underlain by ancient crystalline rocks mainly covered by residual, red clay soils which are somewhat acidic (pH 5.0 - 6.0). The area is hilly, with elevational differences not usually exceeding 15 m. Occasional resistant ridges or monadnocks occur as solitary outliers of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Precipitation averages about 45 inches (114 cm) per year occurring throughout the year except during the drought season during late summer, usually August. Braun (1950) described the outer Piedmont as occurring in the pine-oak region of the Eastern Deciduous Forest. Mature upland deciduous forests are composed of populations of oaks (white, red, post, Spanish, chestnut, scarlet), hickories (sweet pignut, BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 5 pignut, shagbark, mockernut), and mixtures of other hardwood species (red maple, sweetgum, tulip poplar, ironwood, beech, black gum, dogwood, sourwood), often with old successional pines scattered throughout. North slope forests are dominated by American beech with white oak, red or Florida maples, tulip poplars, and ironwood. Successional community stages range from old fields to conifer forests (loblolly pine, Virginia pine, red cedar), and some hardwood types (including sweetgum and tulip poplar). Wetland communities include small streams (with hazel alder, sycamore), rocky river shorelines, floodplain forests (with river birch, sycamore, willow oak, American elm, box elder), and grassland marshes. Most reservoirs, lakes, and ponds were created in the last hundred years but strongly influence the vegetation of this region. Microhabitats of soil hummocks, rock ledges, rocky ravines, logs, stumps, tree trunks, and roots are especially important to the mosses, with the greatest diversity always being found in the more moist shaded areas. STUDY AREA The Virginia Piedmont has been virtually unsurveyed for the presence of bryophytes prior to this study. The central and southern part of the Virginia Piedmont was utilized, from Louisa County in the northern part to the North Carolina border on the south. A buffer zone of about one Piedmont county to the east and west was maintained in order to diminish the direct influence of plants from the mountains and the Coastal Plain. The counties included in this study were Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Halifax, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, and Prince Edward (Figure 3). BRYOPHYTE CHARACTERISTICS Bryophytes consist of hornworts, liverworts, and mosses, all of which are small (normally less than 2 inches [5 cm] long) and have similar life cycles. A key to subdivisions will serve to distinguish these major groups. Mosses are small leafy plants which have leaves in more than three rows. Moss leaves are singly pointed, unlobed, and have a midrib (although it can be short and inconspicuous). Leafy liverworts may be confused with mosses but differ from them in leaf and sporophyte structure. Leafy liverworts have leaves in two or three distinct rows, each leaf possessing two or more lobes that lack midribs. In both mosses and liverworts, the sporophyte grows epiphytically upon the gametophyte plant and is produced seasonally. Mosses usually develop persistent green to brown sporophytes with sporangia that are ovate, cylindrical, spherical, or oblong and allow the escape of spores through the release of a terminal cap. The sporophytes of liverworts are short- lived and produce black cylindrical or ovate sporangia (capsules) which split into four valves to release the spores. ILLUSTRATIONS One species in each genus is illustrated. Numbers correspond to the number of the genus in the text. The following conventions are used: abbreviations - br. = branch, c. = capsule, |. = leaf, p. = plant, sp. = sporophyte; scale lines - single = 1 mm, double = 0.5 mm. KEY TO SUBDIVISIONS la. Plants with stem and leaves 00.00.0000. 2 1b. Plants thallose, consisting of a flat, elongated, round, or heart-shaped body, sometimes branched {never with lieaves).......i.0. 21,2003 BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 53 lawns and meadows. Appomattox, Halifax, Prince Edward counties. 2. Leptodictyum riparium (Hedw.) Warnst. On wet humus, leaf litter, decayed wood, and fallen twigs and branches in swamps, frequently in wet depressions. Buckingham, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Prince Edward counties. Plate 8. 46. Leskea Hedw. Small creeping mosses in dull, dark green or brownish mats, freely to subpinnately branched, branches often ascending; paraphyllia few. Leaves ovate to ovate- lanceolate; midrib extending almost to apex, single; upper cells hexagonal, bulging, singly papillose. Setae long, cylindric, erect, symmetric or somewhat curved. la. Leaves somewhat longer than broad, often slightly asymmetric; capsules subcylindric, UTE os cdoeeancke yeeedieone se ninptadaamn ioc L. polycarpa 1b. Leaves not much longer than broad, not asymmetric; capsules oblong-cylindric, SUIT cease. niaggeealncBeeneisaciharasmurmeensrh mete? 2 2a. Leaves rounded at apex .................. L. obscura 2b. Leaves acute or bluntly-pointed at apex............ Me WO Tes ee Ae Pte ee L. gracilescens |. Leskea gracilescens Hedw. On bark, usually at the base of trees, less commonly on rocks or logs, in hardwood forests, swamps or along roadsides. Charlotte, Prince Edward counties. Plate 8. 2. Leskea obscura Hedw. On bark at base of trees, rocks; swamps. Cumberland County. 3. Leskea polycarpa Hedw. On bark at tree bases, occasionally on logs (in places subject to flooding). Lunenburg, Prince Edward counties. 47. Leucobryum Brid. Medium-sized to large mosses, in dense, whitish, grayish or bluish-green cushions or clumps. Stems forked. Leaves crowded, thick, and fleshy. Setae long, red-brown; capsules curved, strongly inclined. la. Plants large, 2-10 cm high, leaves 3-9 mm long Mabe ti AT cnet Nolet te Saeko SIR mel, L. glaucum 1b. Plants smaller, 1-2 cm high, leaves 1-4 mm ICT OTS SPORE eA NORRIE L. albidum 1. Leucobryum albidum (Brid.) Lindb. On moist rotten logs or stumps, less often on bark at base of trees (including pines!), soil, humus, or rock. Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Prince Edward counties. 2. Leucobryum glaucum (Hedw.) Angstr. ex Fries On humus or soil in moist forests, often covering extensive low mounds, sometimes on logs or stumps or on bark at the base of trees; commonly in pine forests or mixed oak woods. Buckingham, Fluvanna, Halifax, Nottoway, Prince Edward counties. Plate 8. 48. Leucodon Schwaegtr. Robust creeping mosses in dull, dark green rigid tufts. Secondary stems simple or sparsely branched. Leaves ovate, dense, pressed to stem when dry, wide-spreading when moist; midrib lacking; cells smooth, thick- walled, rhombic above. Setae short to long, capsules mostly exserted, erect and symmetric, cylindric. la. Leaves not or obscurely creased, tightly overlapping when dry, ovate and somewhat abruptly narrowed to a tapering point; capsules usually shortly exserted...........000.... L. julaceus 1b. Leaves longitudinally creased, erect or curving when dry; ovate and gradually narrowed to a long point; capsules usually immersed .............. acer sh RAR ARRAN rep he Ren ay cre nan L. brachypus 1. Leucodon brachypus Brid. On bark of trees, rarely on logs, stumps, or rock. Buckingham, Campbell, Prince Edward counties. Plate 8. 2. Leucodon julaceus (Hedw.) Sull. On trunks of trees, also on logs and stumps, occasionally on boulders. Campbell, Halifax, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Prince Edward counties. 49. Lindbergia \Kindb. Slender, creeping mosses in loose, dull, rigid, dark-green to brownish mats. Stems irregularly branched. Leaves crowded, pressed to stem when dry, wide-spreading when moist, concave; midrib to mid- 34 BANISTERIA leaf, cells smooth or unipapillose; brood branchlets common in clusters in axils of leaves along the stem. Setae long; capsules erect and symmetric. Lindbergia brachyptera (Mitt.) Kindb. On trunks of trees, especially roadside elms and maples, occasionally on old logs or fence rails. Plate 9. 50. Mnium Hedw. Medium-sized to robust, erect mosses in light to dark- green, brown, or reddish tufts, often hairy below. Stems simple or forked, erect (sometimes sterile stems spreading and somewhat flattened). Leaves elliptic, oblong, to round, contorted when dry, the margins usually bordered by linear cells, toothed; midrib nearly to apex; upper cells hexagonal to round. Setae long, capsules cylindric, pendulous (hanging). la. Leaves entire or indistinctly toothed ............ Z, ibe. Ledves-distinctly toothed i)... cci:ccctereemcerseerne 3. 2a. Leaves 3.5 - 7.0 mm long; stems clean, not M. punctatum var. punctatum 2b. Leaves 7-14 mm long; stems with fuzzy hairs Feb aasa ge. Spreng dda M. punctatum var. elatum 3a. Leaf border none or very obscure ...M. stellare 3b. Leaf border clearly differentiated ................. 4. 4a. Leaf border with teeth in pairs (side by side): leaves long and narrow; midrib ending below apex (except sometimes in uppermost leaves) rte Ace Pesce in wt Ce Se M. hornum 4b. Leal border with:single teeth: 2) cn. cdsnceawater 5 5a. Leaves toothed only in upper half...........00.00...... Fs es ried Wile ha ai wei rent 8 ee M. cuspidatum 5b. Leaves sharply-toothed nearly to the base... 6. 6a. Marginal teeth elongate, composed of 1-4 cells; sporophytes usually single at tips of stems aL ee. ete A Ueno) M. affine var. ciliare 6b. Marginal teeth composed mostly of single cells; sporophytes usually clustered at tips of stems [Mics & ive irl ber ae Por a taro SS M. medium 1. Mnium affine Bland. var. ciliare C. Muell. (Mnium ciliare (C. Muell.) Schimp.) - On soil, humus, rotten wood, bark at the base of trees, and rock in moist shady places beneath trees or shrubs near streams. No. 21, 2003 Amelia, Lunenburg, Nottoway counties. 2. Mnium cuspidatum Hedw. On moist soil or humus, decayed logs and stumps, bark at the base of trees or drainage channels in trunks, characteristic of banks and low mounds in hardwood forests, also commonly on poor lawns. Amelia, Buckingham, Campbell, Fluvanna, Prince Edward, Spotsylvania counties. Plate 9. 3. Mnium hornum Hedw. On moist acid soil or rocks, especially in ravines and on banks of brooks, occasionally on rotten wood. Campbell, Prince Edward counties. 4. Mnium medium BSG On wet rock and humus, rarely on the base of trees, in wet woods, often near brooks and springs. Prince Edward County. 5. Mnium punctatum Hedw. var. elatum Schimp. In wet places in woods, around springs, in seepage zones and along streams. Appomattox, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Spotsylvania counties. 6. Mnium punctatum Hedw. var. punctatum On wet, humic or mineral soil, humus, decayed wood, and rocks in swampy, coniferous woods, especially in depressions along streams and seepage near springs. Prince Edward County. 7. Mnium stellare Hedw. On the base of trees and stumps and, less often, on soil of banks, rocks and rotten logs, in moist wooded places. Prince Edward County. 51. Orthotrichum Hedw. Plants erect, small to robust, typically in small tufts, dark green or brownish with rhizoids at base, stems forked or forming branches in clumps. Leaves ovate lanceolate, acute, keeled; midrib strong, ending near apex; cells papillose. Setae short to long, capsules immersed to exserted, cylindric and often 8-ribbed when dry, erect, symmetric. The stomates of the capsule are important identifying characters and the capsules must be cut longitudinally, flattened, with spores removed before examination. la. Plants growing on concrete walls: capsules usually emerging from leaves ...........000....000c8. BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 35 2a. Capsules small, pale, smooth or faintly ribbed, not constricted beneath mouth when dry; leaf apex often minutely toothed ......... O. pusillum 2b. Capsules darker, distinctly ribbed and usually contracted beneath the mouth when dry ....... 3. 3a. Leaves short-pointed and sometimes sparsely toothed at apex; cells surrounding stomata of capsules not noticeably protruding .................... O. pumilum 3b. Leaves not pointed or toothed at apex; cells Surrounding stomata clearly protruding........ 4. 4a. Capsules dark brown, strongly ribbed and contracted below mouth when dry; cells surrounding stomata projecting horizontally Set tee ee a Ae a Rk ae ee O. stellatum 4b. Capsules straw-colored, narrowly and distantly ribbed and not or slightly contracted below mouth when dry; cells surrounding the stomata jutting steeply or vertically ......... O. ohioense 1. Orthotrichum ohioense Sull. & Lesq. ex Aust On bark of hardwood trees, especially those with smooth and hard bark; in hardwood forests, especially along streams. Halifax, Prince Edward counties. 2. Orthotrichum pumilum Sw. On rough bark of trees (red maple, hickory, Carpinus) common in open forests or along roadsides; often on shade trees in towns. Campbell, Prince Edward counties. 3. Orthotrichum pusillum Mitt. Bark of hardwoods, especially elms and other soft- barked trees, occasionally on red cedars, most commonly along roads or town streets. Prince Edward County. 4. Orthotrichum stellatum Brid. In small tufts on trunks of hardwood trees principally in closed oak-hickory forests, also on logs, stumps, fence rails. Halifax, Prince Edward counties. Plate 9. 5. Orthotrichum strangulatum P. Beauv. Normally on limestone boulders (which are lacking in study area) but occasionally collected on mortar or concrete walls. Prince Edward County (on wall). 52. Paraleucobryum (Lindb.) Loeske Erect, robust mosses, in gray-green or yellow, shiny tufts. Leaves erect to curved and turned to one side, lanceolate, forming tubes above; midrib broad (from 1/3 to 9/10 leaf base) filling most of tip; cells smooth, basal cells inflated. Setae long; capsules erect and symmetric, cylindric. Paraleucobryum longifolium (Hedw.) Loeske On granitic-type rocks in moist woods, less commonly on bark at base of trees or rotten wood; N-facing hemlock bluffs. Campbell, Charlotte counties. Plate 9. 53. Philonotis Brid. Plants erect, small to moderately robust, usually in dense tufts, dull or bright or whitish-green to yellowish, with dense basal rhizoids. Stems forked or whorled below inflorescence. Leaves erect to spreading, ovate to lanceolate; midrib ending in leaf tip or extending beyond it; cells papillose at ends. Male inflorescences terminating branches and usually disk- like. Setae long, erect; capsules inclined to horizontal, almost spherical, asymmetric and ribbed. la. Leaf cells papillose at lower ends at back and at upper ends on inner surface; stems red.............. P. fontana 1b. Leaf cells papillose only at upper ends; stems brownish to yellowish ..........0..000cccceee Z 2a. Midrib ending in or just below leaf tip; leaf margins minutely singly-toothed in upper half. P. muhlenbergii 2b. Midrib extending beyond leaf tip in a short or long point; margins minutely toothed to leaf P. marchica 1. Philonotis fontana (Hedw.) Brid. On soil or rock in wet, seepy places, usually in the open around ditches, springs, streams. Campbell, Lunenburg, Prince Edward counties. Plate 9. 2. Philonotis marchica (Hedw.) Brid. On soil 1n wet places, such as seepy roadbanks or edges of springs. Prince Edward County. 3. Philonotis muhlenbergii (Schwaegr.) Brid. On soil in wet places. Amelia, Lunenburg counties. 54. Physcomitrium (Brid.) Furnr. Small, erect mosses, growing close together, light 36 BANISTERIA No. 21, 2003 PLATE 10 56. leaves 55. Plagiothecium denticulatum 59. Pleurozium schreberi 60. Pogonatum pensilvanicum BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 37 green with simple or forked stems. Leaves erect or spreading, oblong-lanceolate; midrib ending below apex or, rarely, extending beyond; cells large and lax. Setae long, erect; capsules spherical to pear-shaped. Physcomitrium pyriforme (Hedw.) Hampe Disturbed places on wet soil, banks of streams or ditches, in swamps, at roadsides, and in lawns, pastures and old fields in spring. Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham counties. Plate 9. 55. Plagiothecium BSG Plants creeping, irregularly pinnately branched, branches somewhat flattened in shiny, yellowish to bright or dark green mats. Leaves lanceolate to broadly ovate or elliptic; midrib short and double or lacking; cells linear, smooth. Setae long; capsules erect to horizontal. la. Leaves symmetric or nearly so, typically concave, not or only irregularly flattened (and if so, shrunken, contorted and scarcely overlapping when dry) .............. P. cavifolium 1b. Leaves asymmetric, flat, the plant distinctly NAUENSC 2 hte enema) P. denticulatum 1. Plagiothecium cavifolium (Brid.) Iwats. On shaded soil or humus, sometimes on rotten wood or tree bases, usually in hardwood forests. Prince Edward County. 2. Plagiothecium denticulatum (Hedw.) BSG In swamps, sometimes on rotten wood, bases of trees, soil or humus. Nottoway, Prince Edward counties. Plate 10. 56. Platydictya Berk Small, slender, creeping mosses in green or brownish, dull, irregularly branched. Leaves very small, erect- spreading, lanceolate; cells short, rhombic, smooth. Setae long; capsules cylindric, erect, symmetric. Platydictya subtile (Hedw.) Crum Bark at base of hardwood trees. Buckingham, Prince Edward counties. Plate 10. 57. Platygyrium BSG Small creeping plants in flat, dark, golden- or brownish-green glossy mats, freely branched, the branches ascending, bearing clusters of minute brood branchlets at tips. Leaves erect to spreading, concave, ovate to lanceolate, margins mostly entire; midrib short and double or lacking; cells smooth, rhombic in middle, quadrate in basal angles. Setae reddish, long; capsules erect and symmetric, cylindric. Platygyrium repens (Brid.) BSG Common on logs and stumps, also on trunks or bases of trees; in dry wooded areas, moist hardwoods, and wet hardwood swamps. Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Prince Edward counties. Plate 10. 58. Pleuridium Rabh. Small erect mosses, in loose, yellow-green or yellow- brown tufts. Leaves 1.5- 4 mm long, loosely erect or spreading, gradually tapering to apex from an ovate or oblong base, V-channeled to tubular at tip; midrib filling most of leaf tip; cells mostly linear, rectangular at base. Setae short; capsules immersed, elliptic to ovoid. Pleuridium subulatum (Hedw.) Raben. A spring ephemeral on bare soil in lawns, old fields, cemeteries, grassy roadsides. Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Prince Edward counties. Plate 10. 59. Pleurozium Mitt. Robust creeping mosses in loose, light green or yellowish shiny mats, pinnately branched; stems red. Leaves loosely overlapping, concave, wrinkled when dry, broadly ovate, rounded at apex to point; midrib short and double; upper cells linear, smooth, basal cells oblong, orange. Setae long, red or yellow; capsules inclined to horizontal, curved to symmetric (not seen). Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt. On soil and humus in dry open woods (pines) and bogs; said to be an indicator of acid soils. Prince Edward County. Plate 10. 60. Pogonatum P. Beauv. Small, erect mosses growing close together from a persistent green protonema (these two species only): leaves few, oblong or oblong-ovate with several erect lamellae (ridges of cells) on upper surface over midrib and leaf blade. Setae long; capsules cylindric, symmetric or somewhat asymmetric, erect or inclined to horizontal. 38 BANISTERIA No. 21, 2003 PLATE 11 61. brood branch 61. Pohlia annotina gai A 64. Pylaisiella selwynii 66. leaf 65. leaf cells 69. Rhodobryum ontariense 66. Schwetschkeopsis fabronia BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 39 la. Leaves irregularly notched to toothed on margins; lamellae few, 11-16 00.0.0 Pi tear an Pats Whe Re Pe aes dens P. pensilvanicum 1b. Leaves entire; lamellae many, 25-39, covering most of leaf surface ............. P. brachyphyllum 1. Pogonatum brachyphyllum (Michx.) P. Beauv. On bare sandy or clayey soil on banks of ditches or ravines, usually in open situations. Prince Edward, Spotsylvania counties. 2. Pogonatum pensilvanicum (Hedw.) P. Beauv. A pioneer of recently exposed, steep banks of moist clay or silt, especially on roadbanks. Buckingham, Prince Edward counties. Plate 10. 61. Pohlia Hedw. Plants erect, small to fairly robust, in loose or dense green, yellowish, or rarely, reddish, sometimes glossy tufts; stems usually red. Leaves crowded at stem tips, erect, lanceolate, toothed near tips; midrib ending below or at apex; upper cells long and narrow, lower cells shorter and rectangular. Setae long, twisted, often curved above; capsules inclined or drooping, ovoid or cylindric, each with a neck. la. Plants producing twisted, elongated, top-shaped brood bodies in leaf axils; stems red below and SReCira DO Vea Aa euest gasccokt ice bmn P. annotina 1b. Plants not producing brood-bodies; capsules elongate; upper leaf cells rhombic, thick- walled; stems red throughout............ P. nutans 1. Pohlia annotina (Hedw.) Lindb. On soil in moist open places along ditches. Prince Edward County. Plate 11. 2. Pohlia nutans (Hedw.) Lindb. On turfy soil, decaying logs and tops of rotten stumps; also rock crevices. Appomattox, Lunenburg, Spot- sylvania counties. 62. Polytrichum Hedw. Robust, erect mosses in loose or dense, dark, green, brownish or bluish-green tufts. Leaves lanceolate from a sheathing base, spreading, usually with a long point at tip, the upper blade covered from base to apex by many erect lamellae (files of cells); margins plane or abruptly folded inward, entire or coarsely toothed; midrib strong, continuing into the long pointed tip. Setae long, erect; capsules almost erect to horizontal, 4 - 6 angled in cross-section, gradually or abruptly narrowed to a swollen base, calyptra densely covered with brown to tan hairs. These are known as the “hair- cap” mosses. la. Leaf margins entire, thin and infolded; leaf tip forming a toothed, red-brown awn..................... ate: OD eek Raia) Pere, P. juniperinum 1b. Leaf margins coarsely toothed, not infolded..... 2a. Capsules cubical; plants robust, 4-4.5 cm tall; terminal cell of lamellae, in leaf cross-section, J 016 ©) 5276 Rage Bec ae RE oe ate P. commune 2b. Capsules much longer than broad; plants smaller, 1.5 - 6 cm tall; terminal cell of lamella, in section, rounded or flat-topped, never ITOUCH s Rett ta Beers. icace et eet tReet P. ohioense 1. Polytrichum commune Hedw. Large plants on soil, humus, and rocks in wet habitats, in pastures and meadows, and at the edges of bogs and swamps. Amelia, Appomattox, Lunenburg, Prince Edward counties. Plate 11. 2. Polytrichum juniperinum Hedw. On soil, humus, and rocks in dry to moist hardwood forests, especially in pine-oak forests. Amelia, Prince Edward counties. 3. Polytrichum ohioense Ren. & Card. On soil or humus (often overlying rock), sometimes on stumps, characteristic of banks or sides of trails or at bases of trees in rather dry, open woods or pastures (rarely in moist woods). Amelia, Buckingham, Campbell, Prince Edward, Spotsylvania counties. 63. Ptychomitrium Fuernr. Small erect mosses in loose or dense, dull, dark green cushions. Leaves erect with curved points or crisped when dry, spreading when moist, concave and long- lanceolate from a broad sheathing base, blunt or acute, margins entire to faintly toothed near apex; midrib strong, ending in or below apex; upper cells small, rounded to quadrate, smooth; lower cells linear to laxly oblong. Setae long, yellowish; capsules erect and symmetric, ovoid to cylindric. 40 BANISTERIA No. 21, 2003 PLATE 12 68.Sematophyllum adnatum 69.Sphagnum subsecundum 72. Thamnobryum 71. Taxiphyllum taxirameum alleghaniense BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 4] la. Leaves erect and slightly incurved when dry, notched-finely toothed above; growing on bark of trees or on old wood .......... P. drummondii 1b. Leaves crisped and contorted when dry, entire; growing on rock ......... eee. P. incurvatum 1. Ptychomitrium drummondii (Wils.) Sull. On tree trunks, including their bases, especially on elms and cedars, along streams; often on trunks of shade trees along streets of towns. 2. Ptychomitrium incurvatum (Schwaegr.) Spruce On rocks of all types; common in crevices of boulders in hardwood forests. Amelia, Nottoway, Prince Edward counties. Plate 11. 64. Pylaisiella Kindb. Plants creeping in slender or medium-sized, flat, light to dark green or brownish shiny mats; irregularly to pinnately branched, branches ascending, usually curved. Leaves crowded, spreading when moist, concave, ovate-lanceolate, with short- to long-tapering tips; midrib short and double; cells linear, small and quadrate in rows at basal angles. Setae long; capsules erect and symmetric, cylindric to ovoid. la. Quadrate basal cells of leaves few, less than 10 APTI ALS Iss Sit. eee ae. P. intricata 1b. Quadrate basal cells numerous, 10-20 or more ANON OSTMATC IN Ses. teceva dine enbeenhenans P. selwynii 1. Pylaisiella intricata (Hedw.) Grout On trunks of hardwoods and red cedars, rarely on logs. Buckingham, Prince Edward counties. 2. Pylaisiella selwynii (Kindb.) Crum, Steere & Anders. - On trunks of hardwoods and red cedars, rarely on logs. Halifax, Prince Edward counties. Plate 11. 65. Rhodobryum (Schimp.) Hampe Robust, dark green, erect mosses from a subterranean, rhizome-like stem; erect stems forming rosettes at their tips (like green flowers); leaves distant, small and scale-like below, larger and crowded at stem tips, wide spreading when moist, contorted when dry, oblong- obovate, broadly acute and abruptly pointed, bordered and toothed on margins above; midrib strong, ending in apex or forming a short point; upper cells large, oblong-hexagonal, lower cells elongate-rectangular. Setae long, single or clustered, hooked or curved at the tip; capsules horizontal to hanging, curved, cylindric, the neck usually conspicuous. Rhodobryum ontariense (Kindb.) Par. in Lindb. [Rhodobryum roseum (Hedw.) Limpr.] - On shaded humus or soil over rocks, also on old logs or bark at the base of trees. Buckingham, Prince Edward counties. Plate 11. 66. Schwetschkeopsis Broth. Slender, small, creeping mosses, freely branched, the branches often tapering in soft, dense, slightly shiny, green or yellow-green mats; leaves erect, crowded, ovate-lanceolate, tapering to a slender apex, lacking a midrib, minutely toothed all around; upper cells rhombic, thick-walled, papillose at back because of projecting upper ends, basal marginal cells quadrate in several rows. Setae elongate; capsules erect and symmetric, cylindric. Schwetschkeopsis fabronia (Schwaegr.) Broth. On bark of hardwoods, especially on trunks of smooth- barked trees. Predicted (Crum & Anderson, 1981) but not yet found in this area. Plate 11. 67. Sciaromium (Mitt.) Mitt. Coarse and rigid, creeping plants of moderate size, in loose, dull, yellow-green or dark, dingy green mats, freely branched, branches erect. Stems frequently lacking leaves in older parts, leaves somewhat concave, ovate, incurved and twisted when dry, spreading when moist, bordered by several rows of thick-walled cells in 2 or more layers; midrib strong, ending in leaf tip or extending slightly; cells rhombic to hexagonal, basal cells not much differentiated. Setae elongate; capsules strongly inclined to hanging, curved and asymmetric, contracted below mouth when dry. Sciaromium lescurii (Sull.) Broth. On wet rocks in streams, sometimes in cascades. Buckingham County. Plate 12. 68. Sematophyllum Mitt. Small to medium-sized creeping mosses, in dense, dull or shiny, green to yellowish or brownish mats; somewhat pinnately branched, the branches ascending and often curved. Leaves erect or spreading, asymmetrically curved to one side, concave, lanceolate 42 BANISTERIA to ovate, acute to shortly drawn out at tips; midrib absent or short and double; cells mostly linear, smooth, 3-6 cells at basal angles abruptly inflated and yellow. Setae long; capsules erect and symmetric to horizontal and curved, contracted below mouth when dry. la. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, gradually narrowed to tip; capsules erect or nearly so; on bark of (ESS OM OBS. en c.ecagigennieas mgeuben S. adnatum 1b. Leaves oblong-ovate, acute or shortly narrowed to tip, capsules inclined to nearly horizontal; on 11.014 °C an ee Ot Racer ie i cd S. demisssum 1. Sematophyllum adnatum (Michx.) E.G Britt. On bark at the base of trees, logs, rarely, rock or soil; commonly in swamps, but also pine-oak forests, or hemlock stands on N-facing bluffs. Appomattox, Charlotte, Prince Edward counties. Plate 12. 2. Sematophyllum demissum (Wils.) Mitt. Wet acid rocks near streams. Buckingham, Charlotte, Prince Edward counties. 69. Sphagnum L. Sphagnum, the peat mosses, is sometimes a difficult genus to identify because of the technical nature of characters used for identification. Fortunately we have few species on the Piedmont, some of which can be identified through field characteristics. Even so, the leaves may need to be sectioned across their width with a clean, sharp razor blade. Staining with a solution of crystal violet gives good contrast. The convex surface is the upper, and the concave is the lower surface. Robust mosses, growing in wet places or seepage. Stems erect, sparsely forked, the central woody cylinder surrounded by 1 or more layers of clear, thin- walled epidermal (cortical) cells. Branches usually in clusters, but crowded at stem tip in a head-like tuft. Leaves spirally arranged around branches, composed of linear, green cells in a network surrounding large, empty, rhombic, clear cells, nearly always reinforced by thickened fibrils, usually with large rounded pores. Stem leaves different from branch leaves, less crowded, often larger or of different shapes. Capsules spherical, black when fresh, elevated on an elongated branch, but collapsed, dry and cylindric when empty. [Five additional species of Sphagnum are known from Piedmont counties bordering the Fall Line. These are S. bartlettianum, S. cuspidatum, S. magellanicum, S. recurvum, and S. tenerum. Users may wish to consult No. 21, 2003 a more thorough treatment of this genus for identification purposes. — Ed. ] la. Branch leaves hood-shaped at apex .............. 2 1b. Branch leaf margins inrolled or flat but not hood-shaped; branch leaves not curved backwards when wet; leaves with a border OF narmow linear Cells: ws oserectenvvceeseetenevras 5, 2a. Stem leaves small and triangular, <1 mm long (branch leaves somewhat standing away from branch when moist), plants pale brownish green, sometimes tinged with violet; leaves very narrowly bordered by linear cells S. compactum 2b. Stem leaves large, >1 mm long, tongue shaped; branch leaves tightly or loosely overlapping; plants green, yellow, or brown but not red; leawessiTOt DORMETCdL.2. 2505. eee Ls non 3. 3a. Tufted head of moss small and distinctly flattened with small pointed branches; plants green, reddish brown in capitulum; newest branches in capitulum noticeably shorter than bratiches’ DelOw? 2. ......::.602..c-ssse00ees S. henryense 3b. Head large and rounded: plants green, brown, purple brown; newest branches not noticeably shorter than older branches ....................08. 4. 4a. Stem leaves >1.5 mm long with length almost twice the width; plants green to golden-brown; growing in margins of mineral rock habitats, PALS YA OMMTIAN be an4 7 2tce hy vee A eek ced S. palustre Ab. Stem leaves < 1.5 mm long and only slightly longer than broad; branch leaves frequently standing away from branch; plants slender overall; plants green, tinged with brown or Dunples Bra wites ete ee kaos. eee S. affine 5a. Stem leaves 0.5 - 1.0 mm long; branch leaves slightly curved to one side, stem dark brown peed bt ss ch sen eel CET ci RM Adteth S. subsecundum 5b. Stem leaves >1.0 mm long; branch leaves rarely curved to one side; stem and branch leaves noticeably different in size and structure AAA AR RIR NAAN NDTIS ALARA DOE SESS NTL: £4 SCRA EOREREEST Ta S. lescurti 1. Sphagnum affine Ren. & Card. (also S. imbricatum Hornsch. ex Russ.) - In loose wide mats in seepage areas or small streams in pine- oak-hickory forests. Prince Edward County. BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 43 2. Sphagnum compactum DC ex Lam. & DC In small cushions on wet sandy silt and moist rock; on moist hemlock bluff. Fluvanna County. 3. Sphagnum henryense Warnst. In loose carpets and low cushions on peaty humus in wooded or shrubby swamps, at the edges of ponds or along streams, rarely submerged. 4. Sphagnum lescurii Sull. (also S. subsecundum Nees ex Sturm. var. rufescens Nees) - On wet soil at the margins of creeks and ponds, also in meadows and shaded swamplands. Lunenburg, Prince Edward counties. 5. Sphagnum palustre L. Forming wide carpets in more or less mineral-rich, swampy habitats, usually in shade in hardwood swamps. Not yet found in Piedmont but suggested as present by Crum & Anderson (1981). 6. Sphagnum subsecundum Nees ex Sturm. In wet sedgy habitats, in seepage or among rocks. Plate 12. [Sphagnum subsecundum, in the strict sense, is generally regarded as a rare species of the north extending south to the mountains of North Carolina. That plant is not presently known in Virginia. The basis for Dr. Breil’s inclusion of this name is unknown. — Ed. | 70. Steerecleus Robins. Creeping mosses of moderate size, in flat, shiny, bright or yellow-green mats; irregularly branched. Leaves not crowded, spreading and flattened on stems, about 2 mm long, ovate, narrowed to a slender, twisted apex: margins minutely toothed, often to base; cells linear, cells of basal angles not differentiated. Setae long, yellow, becoming brown or reddish; capsules inclined to horizontal, cylindric, strongly curved when dry, brown. Steerecleus serrulatum (Hedw.) Robins. [Rhynchostegium serrulatum (Hedw.) Jaeg. & Sauerb. | On soil or humus, rotten wood, bark at base of trees, and rock in rather dry to moist hardwood forests, sometimes in lawns and grassy fields. Buckingham, Campbell, Fluvanna, Halifax, Prince Edward, Spotsylvania counties. Very common. Plate 12. 71. Taxiphyllum FI. Creeping mosses in flat, small to medium-sized, green or yellow, often glossy mats; branching irregular to subpinnate; small lance-like leaves surrounding branch bases or branch initials. Leaves crowded, ovate, with gradually drawn out tips, leaves apparently flattened into 2 rows; margins toothed all around; midrib short and double or lacking; cells linear, the upper ends sometimes minutely projecting, cells shorter at apex and base. Setae long; capsules erect or inclined; oblong or ovoid. Taxiphyllum taxirameum (Mitt.) Fleisch. On soil or rock. Plate 12. 72. Thamnobryum Nieuwl. Plants robust, in rigid, loose, dull mats; primary stems creeping, leafless; secondary stems ascending and freely, often pinnately branched above; often tree-like; paraphyllia none. Leaves ovate, not or rarely flattened, blunt to acute or drawn-out at apex, toothed above; midrib stout, usually ending below apex; cells smooth, rounded-quadrate to rounded-hexagonal, longer toward base. Setae long; capsules cylindric, inclined to horizontal or drooping. Thamnobryum alleghaniense (C.M.) Nieuwl. On rocks in wet, shady, cooler ravines and on north- facing bluffs. Buckingham, Prince Edward counties. Plate 12. 73. Thelia Sull. Medium-sized creeping mosses in dark green to yellowish or grayish mats; irregularly or pinnately branched, branches usually cylindric often ascending; paraphyllia few to many. Leaves densely overlapping, concave, triangular-ovate, abruptly drawn to a point at apex; margins regularly to irregularly sharply toothed, the teeth sometimes branched; midrib single, ending above leaf middle; cells rhombic and coarsely singly papillose at back; papillae long and simple or elaborately branched. Setae yellow to red-yellow; capsules erect, symmetric, cylindric. la. Leaf cells with simple papillae; on trees ........... T. hirtella 44 BANISTERIA No. 21, 2003 PLATE 13 74. Thuidium delicatulum 78.Ulota hutchinsiae BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 45 2a. Stems creeping, covered with rhizoids; on trees L: Seeeeeree hich Ee. eereiadueowen 1. iseae sae T. asprella 2b. Stems crowded and ascending, not or only slightly covered with rhizoids; on sandy soil si, onc Rolin diner sae val Ft. otha ee T. lescurii 1. Thelia asprella Sull. On bark at base of trees, sometimes on rotten logs and stumps, rarely on soil. Buckingham, Charlotte, Fluvanna, Prince Edward, Spotsylvania counties. Plates)3: 2. Thelia hirtella (Hedw.) Sull. On bark at base or on trunks of hardwood and red cedar trees; sometimes on decayed logs and stumps; rarely on rock or soil. Buckingham, Nottoway counties. 3. Thelia lescurii Sull. On soil, especially sand, occasionally rocks, rarely on bark at base of trees, in dry open areas such as cedar, pine, or oak barrens and oak-hickory woods. Appomattox, Prince Edward counties. 74. Thuidium BSG Robust, creeping mosses in dull, green, yellowish, or brownish, loose mats. Stems creeping to ascending, often curved; regularly 2-3 pinnate; paraphyllia abundant, papillose, often polymorphic. Stem leaves larger than branch leaves. Leaves ovate, tapered to tip and narrowed at base, usually with 2 pleats lengthwise, margins revolute below; midrib usually ending below apex, sometimes extending into it; cells mostly uniform, rounded, hexagonal, thick-walled, minutely multipapillose on one or both surfaces; tips of branch leaves ending ina cell with 2 or more terminal papillae. Setae long; capsules inclined to horizontal, curved, cylindric. la. Stem leaves incurved at base and wide- spreading at tips, midrib nearly filling tip; (perichaetial leaves surrounding base of sporophyte) not ciliate on margins ...........0....0.. RN os he hog Pe 9 Adee A 4 T. recognitum 1b. Stem leaves erect, with margins recurved and midrib ending well below apex; perichaetial leaves ciliate on margins ......... T. delicatulum 1. Thuidium delicatulum (Hedw.) BSG On moist shaded soil, humus, rock, logs or stumps, less commonly on bark at the base of trees, or even well up the trunks in moist places, apparently more often on acid substrates than T. recognitum. Buckingham, Campbell, Fluvanna, Lunenburg, Prince Edward, Spotsylvania counties. Plate 13. 2. Thuidium recognitum (Hedw.) Lindb. On moist soil or humus and rocks, infrequently on logs or bark at the base of trees, usually in woods, sometimes in meadows, forest clearings, or timber trails. 75. Tortella (Lindb.) Limpr. Small to medium-sized erect mosses, growing in loose or dense, green, yellowish or brownish tufts. Leaves curled and contorted when dry, spreading when moist, oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate; midrib strong, ending in tip to extending beyond; upper cells round to hexagonal, green, obscure, densely papillose on both surfaces; lower cells lax, rectangular, clear, abruptly set off from the upper cells in a V-shaped region extending above the shoulders in a short to elongate border. Setae elongate, becoming reddish; capsules erect and symmetric or somewhat curved, cylindric; peristome teeth long and twisted. la. Leaves 4-6.5 mm long, gradually long- narrowed, with tips spirally curled when dry; on concrete or mortared walls ....... T. tortuosa 1b. Leaves 2-4 mm long, more abruptly pointed, irregularly incurved and contorted when dry; VTE CES cit ie tees haart gt Othe La a T. humilis 1. Tortella humilis (Hedw.) Jenn. On bark at the base of trees or on rock, soil, humus, or logs, generally in dry places. Amelia, Buckingham, Nottoway, Prince Edward counties. 2. Tortella tortuosa (Hedw.) Limpr. Normally on limestone, this has been found locally on concrete walls. Prince Edward County. Plate 13. 76. Tortula Hedw. Small, erect mosses, in dull, green to brownish tufts, often tinged with red, simple or forked, with many rhizoids below. Leaves often larger and more crowded toward stem tips, wide-spreading to recurved when moist, erect, folded along midrib and twisted around stem when dry, strap-shaped, elliptic and widest above the middle, broadly rounded to obtuse at tips, ending in long awns; margins entire; midrib strong, usually extending into long awn; upper cells hexagonal, 46 BANISTERIA multipapillose, the papillae circular or C-shaped; lower cells large, rectangular, thin-walled, smooth, clear. Setae long; capsules cylindric, erect and symmetric to somewhat curved, peristome teeth developing 32 long filaments that are spirally wound. la. Plants developing propagula in axils of leaves; OMFS ES Aa ccsasetne yoctevencdliternsinn dota: T. pagorum 1b. Plants not producing propagula or brood bodies; on rock or concrete walls... 7. muralis 1. Tortula muralis Hedw. On mortared brick or stone walls, concrete abutments and storm drains and limestone in natural habitats. Prince Edward County. 2. Tortula pagorum (Milde) De Not. On bark of trees especially near habitation, sometimes on rocks, bricks, or stone walls. Farmville, Prince Edward County (courthouse trees). Plate 13. 77. Trematodon Michx. Small, erect plants, loosely associated or tufted, light green or yellowish. Leaves spreading when moist, curled when dry, oblong-ovate and clasping at base, gradually to abruptly narrowed to a linear tip; midrib extending to tip but not filling awn; cells short- rectangular above, laxly rhombic to rectangular below. Setae long; capsule with neck twice as long as urn. Trematodon longicollis Michx. On damp sand or clay of banks (particularly roadside ditches), also on soil of bottomlands, old fields, and lawns, burned areas. Prince Edward County. Plate 13. 78. Ulota Mohr ex Web. Small erect mosses, in small tufts, green, yellowish or brownish above, dark brown to blackish and covered in rhizoids below. Leaves crowded, slightly curved or crisped and contorted when dry, spreading when moist, lanceolate from a broader concave base and gradually narrowed to a slender, bluntly acute apex; midrib ending near apex; upper cells round, thick-walled, smooth to obscurely unipapillose on both surfaces; cells of sheathing base linear, arranged in a radiating pattern, yellowish, very thick-walled. Setae terminal, elongate; capsules cylindric, 8-ribbed, erect, with a relatively long, tapering neck; calyptra hairy. No. 21, 2003 la. Plants growing on rock; leaves slightly curved, but not crisped or contorted when dry ............... rece yn ATID ANA nh BOR Se ace Amt aten Mh U. hutchinsiae 1b. Plants growing on trees; leaves very crisped and contorted when dry ............0....... U. crispa 1. Ulota crispa (Hedw.) Brid. On bark of trees, usually hardwoods. Expected but not yet collected. 2. Ulota hutchinsiae (Sm.) Hamm. On siliceous rocks, usually boulders in mesic hardwood forests. Prince Edward County. Plate 13. 79. Weissia Hedw. Small dull green, yellowish or brownish mosses, in loose or dense tufts. Leaves larger toward stem tips, strongly curled and contorted when dry, spreading when moist, narrowly lanceolate from a narrow oblong base, the apex acute, margins inrolled from the shoulders to the apex; midrib shortly extending beyond tip as a fine point; upper cells small, hexagonal, densely papillose, lower cells smooth, rectangular, pale. Setae long; capsules erect and symmetric, ellipsoidal to cylindric. Weissia controversa Hedw. Common and weedy, on soil or rock in open disturbed places such as roadsides and abandoned fields, lawns. Appomattox, Buckingham, Charlotte, Halifax, Prince Edward counties. Figure 2. 79. Weissia controversa Fig. Li BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 47 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS & NOTE The botany editor thanks Dr. Jonathan Shaw, bryologist at Duke University, for the much needed Overview of technical content. His review was invaluable. Sue Williams also reviewed the original draft and made helpful comments. In addition to her fine illustrations, she deserves special thanks for making her original drawings available to the botany editor in high resolution, digital format, greatly facilitating the production of Plates. Technical support was provided by the New Media Center at Virginia Tech. Special thanks to Rob Dickert at Computer Lab Support at Virginia Tech for converting the original text files to a current, usable format. Steve Roble made helpful suggestions along the way and was a great encouragement. A concerted effort has been made to preserve the original intentions of the author in bringing this paper to completion, however, discrepancies between various portions of the draft needed to be resolved without the benefit of feedback from the author. As the title indicates, this paper treats common and occasional mosses. Users will undoubtedly encounter species not included herein, but it is hoped that Dr. Breil’s efforts will spur many a curious naturalist to enjoy these beautiful little plants. TFW, Botany Editor. GLOSSARY acrocarpous - with gametophyte producing sporophyte at apex of a stem or main branch. Acrocarpous mosses generally grow erect in tufts (rather than mats) and are sparsely or not branched (as opposed to pleurocarpous) acute - sharp pointed, with terminal angle less than 90° but greater than 45° alar cells - referring to cells at basal margins (angles) of a leaf; these cells are often differentiated in size, shape or color from other leaf cells, e.g., Dicranum. apical - at apex; summit or point of a structure basal cell - cell at the base; in leaves, frequently differentiated cells of the lower 1/4 - 1/3 of a leaf brood body - a generalized term used to denote various types of specialized vegetative reproductive structures; e.g., reduced buds, leaves, branches or plant fragments (propagules) brood branch — see cladium calyptra (pl. calyptrae) - a membranous covering of haploid tissue over the developing sporophyte (generally remaining attached as a cap atop the capsule) capsule - the sporangium; terminal spore-producing part of the sporophyte; in most mosses it is differentiated into an apical operculum, central urn (spore-bearing region) and a sterile basal neck cladium (pl. cladia) - modified, regenerant branch that arises from normal shoots and detaches readily for vegetative reproductive purposes costa (pl. costae) - nerve or midrib of a leaf, always more than one cell thick crisped (crispate) - wavy; often used more loosely to mean variously curled, twisted, and contorted decurrent - with basal leaf margins extending down the stem past the leaf insertion as ridges or narrow wings exserted - projecting and exposed; e.g., capsules or perianths held clear of the tips of perichaetial leaves (cf. emergent) falcate - curved like the blade of a sickle fibril - fine, fiber-like wall thickenings filiform - slender and elongate, filamentous, thread- like foliose - leafy or leaf-like; closely covered with leaves gametophyte - the haploid, sexual generation; the dominant generation in mosses, consisting normally of green, leafy plants gemma (pl. gemmae) - uni- or multicellular, filamentous, globose, ellipsoidal, cylindric, stellate or discoid brood bodies, relatively undifferentiated, serving in vegetative reproduction globose - spherical immersed - submerged or below the surface; referring to a capsule or perianth exceeded by the blades or awns 48 BANISTERIA of the perichaetial leaves (cf. exserted) insertion - the place or line of attachment of a structure; applied to leaves and branch on a stem, peristome, etc. lamella (pl. lamellae) - parallel photosynthetic ridges or plates along a leaf blade, costa or thallus median - central, middle; e.g., median leaf cells are from the upper middle of a leaf, midway between costa and margin midrib - a mid-vein or single costa of a leaf or thallus neck - the sterile basal portion of a capsule, sometimes considerably differentiated operculum (pl. opercula) - the lid covering the mouth of most moss capsules papilla (pl. papillae) - cell ornamentation, a solid microscopic protuberance papillose - bearing papillae; monopapillose - bearing one simple, unbranched papilla on the cell surface multipapillose - bearing several papillae, or one compound or branched papilla on the cell surface. Loosely applied to any minutely rough surface paraphyllium (pl. paraphyllia) - small green outgrowths of various shapes, 1.e., filiform, lanceolate, scale- or leaf-like or sometimes branched; produced randomly on the stems or branches of many pleurocarpous mosses perichaetial leaf - modified leaf or underleaf (bract; bracteole) associated with the gynoecium (female sexual organ); collectively forming the perichaetium peristome - a circular structure, generally divided into 4, 8,16, 32, or 64 teeth, arranged in a single or double (rarely multiple) row around the mouth of a capsule pinnate - with numerous, spreading branches on opposite sides of the axis and thus resembling a feather pleurocarpous - producing sporophytes laterally from a perichaetial bud or a short, specialized branch rather than at the stem tip; with stems usually prostrate, creeping, and freely branched, thus mosses growing in mats rather than tufts No. 21, 2003 propagulum (propagule) - reduced bud, branch, or leaf serving in vegetative reproduction (see brood body) protonema (pl. protonemata) - a filamentous, globose or thalloid structure resulting from spore germination and including all stages of development up to the production of one or more gametophytes; in mosses the protonema is typically filamentous although Sphagnum, Andreaea, and Tetraphis have thallose protonemata pseudoparaphyllium (pl. pseudoparaphyllia) - small, unistratose (one cell layer thick), filiform or foliose structure resembling paraphyllium, but restricted to the areas of the stem around branch primordia; often found in pleurocarpous mosses recurved - curved downward and inward; in leaves, referring to margins, apices, or marginal teeth rosette - a compact cluster of leaves encircling the stem secund - turned to one side; e.g., leaves on a stem seta (pl. setae) - elongated portion of the sporophyte between the capsule and foot; loosely used for axillary bristles sporophyte - the spore-bearing generation; initiated by the fertilization of an egg; remaining attached to the gametophyte and partially dependent on it; typically consisting of foot, seta, and capsule thallus (pl. thalli) - a more or less flattened gametophyte, not differentiated into a stem and leaves unipapillose - with a single papilla per cell LITERATURE CITED Anderson, L. E., & R. H. Zander. 1973. Mosses of the southern Blue Ridge province and_ their phytogeographic relationships. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 89: 15-60. Braun, E. L. 1950. Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America. Hafner Publishing Company. New York. 596 Pp. BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 49 Breil, D. M. 1996. Liverworts and hornworts of the Virginia Piedmont. Banisteria 8: 3-28. Buck, W. R., & E. P. McLean. 1985. “Mosses” in Lord Petre’s herbarium collected by John Bartram. Bartonia 5; 17-33) Crum, H. A., & L. E. Anderson. 1981. Mosses of Eastern North America (2 volumes). Columbia University Press. New York, NY. 1328 pp. Dillenius, J.J. 1741. Historia Muscorum. Oxford. 576 pp. Gronovius, J. F. 1762. Flora Virginica. Lugduni Batavorum. [Photolithograph (1946), The Murray Printing Company, Cambridge, MA. | Iltis, H. H. 1950. Studies of Virginia plants I. List of bryophytes from the vicinity of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Castanea 15: 38-50. Kearney, T. H. 1901. Report on a botanical survey of the Dismal Swamp region. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 5: 321-585. Patterson, P. M. 1940a. Corticolous bryophyte societies at Mountain Lake, Virginia. American Midland Naturalist 23: 421-441. Patterson, P. M. 1940b. A preliminary list of the mosses of Mountain Lake, Virginia. The Bryologist 43: 159- 166. Patterson, P. M. 1943. Additional mosses from Mountain Lake, Virginia. The Bryologist 46: 126-128. Patterson, P. M. 1944. Additional mosses from Mountain Lake, Virginia, I]. The Bryologist 47: 23- 295 Patterson, P. M. 1949. The bryophythes of Virginia I. — Bryophytes reported in the literature. Castanea 14: 1-49. Patterson, P. M. 1950. The bryophytes of Virginia II. — New or noteworthy records. The Bryologist 53: 27- 42. Patterson, P. M. 1951. Bryophytes of Virginia III. - Collections made in southeastern Virginia by Bayard Long. Rhodora 53: 117-128. Patterson, P. M. 1953. Virginia bryophytes collected by Bernard Mikula. Virginia Journal of Science 4: 125- 127, Patterson, P. M. 1955a. The bryophytes of Virginia IV. — New or noteworthy records. IH]. The Bryologist 58: 215-225. Fig. 3. Counties included in study area (shaded) showing location in Piedmont region of Virginia. 50 BANISTERIA Patterson, P. M. 1955b. Additions and corrections to the bryophyte flora of the Shenandoah National Park. Castanea 20: 19-24. Patterson, P. M. 1965. John Clayton’s collection of Virginia mosses. The Bryologist 68: 105-109. Ray, J. 1686. Historia Plantarum. London. 576 pp. Ray, J. 1690. Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum. London. 317 pp. Schnooberger, I., & F. E. Wynne. 1945. The bryophytes of Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 42: 506-520. Small, J. K., & A. M. Vail. 1893. Report of the botanical exploration of southwestern Virginia during the season of 1892. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 4: 93-201. Sullivant, W. S. 1849. Musci Alleghanienses. Columbus, OH. CHECKLIST OF VIRGINIA PIEDMONT MOSSES Amblystegium (Amblystegiaceae) serpens (Hedw.) BSG varium (Hedw.) Lindb. Anacamptodon (Fabroniaceae) splachnoides (Brid.) Brid. Andreaea (Andreaeaceae) rupestris Hedw. Anomodon (Thuidiaceae) attenuatus (Hedw.) Hueb. minor (Hedw.) Furnr. rostratus (Hedw.) Schimp. viticulosus (Hedw.) Hook. & Tayl. Aphanorrhegma (Funariaceae) serratum (W.J. Hook. & Wils. ex Drumm.) Sull. Astomum (Pottiaceae) muhlenbergianum (Sw.) Grout Atrichum (Polytrichaceae) angustatum (Brid.) BSG undulatum (Hedw.) P. Beauv. Aulacomnium (Aulacomniaceae) heterostichum (Hedw.) BSG palustre (Hedw.) Schwaegr. Bartramia (Bartramiaceae) pomiformis Hedw. Brachythecium (Brachytheciaceae) acuminatum (Hedw.) Aust. oxycladon (Brid.) Jaeg. & Sauerb. plumosum (Hedw.) BSG rivulare BSG rutabulum (Hedw.) BSG salebrosum (Web. & Mohr) BSG Brotherella (Sematophyllaceae) recurvans (Michx.) Fleisch. Bruchia (Dicranaceae) drummondii Hampe ex E.G. Britt. flexuosa (Sw. ex Schwaegr.) C. Muell. Bryhnia (Brachytheciaceae) graminicolor (Brid.) Grout novae-angliae (Sull. & Lesq. ex Sull.) Grout Bryoandersonia (Brachytheciaceae) illecebra (Hedw.) Robins. Bryohaplocladium (Leskeaceae) microphyllum (Hedw.) Wat. & Iwats. virginianum (Brid.) Wat. & Iwats. Bryum (Bryaceae) argenteum Hedw. caespiticum Hedw. capillare Hedw. creberrimum Tayl. pseudotriquetrum (Hedw.) Gaertn., Meyer & Scherb. Buxbaumia (Buxbaumiaceae) aphylla Hedw. Campylium (Amblysteriaceae) chrysophyllum (Brid.) J. Lange hispidulum (Brid.) Mitt. Ceratodon (Ditrichaceae) purpureus (Hedw.) Brid. No. 21, 2003 BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES 51 Clasmatodon (Fabroniaceae) parvulus (Hampe) Hook. & Wils. ex Sull. Climaceum (Climaciaceae) americanum Brid. Cryphaea (Cryphaeaceae) glomerata BSG ex Sull. Ctenidium (Hypnaceae) malacodes (Hedw.) Mitt. Dicranella (Dicranaceae) heteromalla (Hedw.) Schimp. varia (Hedw.) Schimp. Dicranum (Dicranaceae) flagellare Hedw. fulvum Hook. scoparium Hedw. spurium Hedw. Diphyscium (Buxbaumiaceae) foliosum (Hedw.) Mohr Ditrichum (Ditrichaceae) lineare (Sw.) Lindb. pallidum (Hedw.) Hampe pusillum (Hedw.) Hampe Drummondia (Orthotrichaceae) prorepens (Hedw.) E. G Britt. Entodon (Entodontaceae) cladorrhizans (Hedw.) C. Muell. compressus C. Muell. seductrix (Hedw.) C. Muell. Ephemerum (Ephemeraceae) crassinervium (Schwaegr.) Hampe serratum (Hedw.) Hampe spinulosum Bruch & Schimp. ex Schimp. Eurhynchium (Brachytheciaceae) hians (Hedw. ) Sande Lac. pulchellum (Hedw.) Jenn. Fabronia (Fabroniaceae) ciliaris (Brid.) Brid. Fissidens (Fissidentaceae) adianthoides Hedw. bryoides Hedw. bushii (Card. & Ther.) Card. & Ther. cristatus Wils ex Mitt. fontanus (B. Pyl.) Steud. osmundoides Hedw. subbasilaris Hedw. taxifolius Hedw. Fontinalis (Fontinalaceae) dalecarlica BSG filiformis Sull. & Lesq. novae-angliae Sull. sullivantii Lindb. Forsstroemia (Cryphyaceae) trichomitria (Hedw.) Lindb. Funaria (Funariaceae) flavicans Michx. hygrometrica Hedw. Grimmia (Grimmuiaceae) alpicola Hedw. apocarpa Hedw. laevigata (Brid.) Brid. Haplohymenium (Thuidiaceae) triste (Ces. ex De Not.) Kindb. Hedwigia (Hedwigiaceae) ciliata (Hedw.) P. Beauv. Hygroamblystegium (Amblystegiaceae) tenax (Hedw.) Jenn. Hygrohypnum (Amblystegiaceae) eugyrium (BSG) Loeske Hypnum (Hypnaceae) curvifolium Hedw. fertile Sendtn. imponens Hedw. lindbergii Mitt. pallescens (Hedw.) P. Beauv. Isopterygium (Hypnaceae) elegans (Brid.) Lindb. tenerum (Sw.) Mitt. 52 Leptobryum (Bryaceae) pyriforme (Hedw.) Wils. Leptodictyum (Amblystegiaceae) humile (P. Beauv.) Crum riparium (Hedw.) Warnst. Leskea (Leskeaceae) gracilescens Hedw. obscura Hedw. polycarpa Hedw. Leucobryum (Leucobryaceae) albidum (Brid.) Lindb. glaucum (Hedw.) Angstr. ex Fries Leucodon (Leucodontaceae) brachypus Brid. jJulaceus (Hedw.) Sull. Lindbergia (Leskeaceae) brachyptera (Mitt.) Kindb. Mnium (Mniaceae) affine Bland. var. ciliare C. Muell. cuspidatum Hedw. hornum Hedw. medium BSG punctatum Hedw. var punctatum punctatum Hedw. var. elatum Schimp. stellare Hedw. Orthotrichum (Orthotrichaceae) ohioense Sull. & Lesq. ex Aust. pumilum Sw. pusillum Mitt. stellatum Brid. strangulatum P. Beauv. Paraleucobryum (Dicranaceae) longifolium (Hedw.) Loeske Philonotis (Bartramaceae) fontana (Hedw.) Brid. marchica (Hedw.) Brid. muhlenbergii (Schwaegr.) Brid. Physcomitrium (Funariaceae) pyriforme (Hedw.) Hampe BANISTERIA Plagiothecium (Plagiotheciaceae) cavifolium (Brid.) Iwats. denticulatum (Hedw.) BSG Platydictya (Amblystegiaceae) subtile (Hedw.) Crum Platygyrium (Hypnaceae) repens (Brid.) BSG Pleuridium (Ditrichaceae) subulatum (Hedw.) Raben. Pleurozium (Entodontaceae) schreberi (Brid.) Mitt. Pogonatum (Polytrichaceae) brachyphyllum (Michx.) P. Beauv. pensilvanicum (Hedw.) P. Beauv. Pohlia (Bryaceae) annotina (Hedw.) Lindb. nutans (Hedw.) Lindb. Polytrichum (Polytrichaceae) commune Hedw. Juniperinum Hedw. ohioense Ren. & Card. Ptychomitrium (Ptychomitriaceae) drummondii (Wils.) Sull. incurvatum (Schwaegr.) Spruce Pylaisiella (Hypnaceae) intricata (Hedw.) Grout selwynii (Kindb.) Crum, Steere & Anders. Rhodobryum (Bryaceae) ontariense (Kindb.) Par. in Lindb. Schwetschkeopsis (Fabroniaceae) fabronia (Schwaegr.) Broth. Sciaromium (Amblystegiaceae) lescurii (Sull.) Broth. Sematophyllum (Sematophyllaceae) adnatum (Michx.) E. G. Britt. demissum (Wils.) Mitt. No. 21, 2003 BREIL: PIEDMONT MOSSES Sphagnum (Sphagnaceae) Thuidium (Thuidiaceae) affine Ren. & Card. delicatulum (Hedw.) BSG compactum DC ex Lam. & DC recognitum (Hedw.) Lindb. henryense Warnst. lescurii Sull. Tortella (Pottiaceae) palustre L. humilis (Hedw.) Jenn. subsecundum Nees ex Sturm. tortuosa (Hedw.) Limpr. Steerecleus (Brachytheciaceae) Tortula (Pottiaceae) serrulatum (Hedw.) Robins. muralis Hedw. pagorum (Milde) De Not. Taxiphyllum (Hypnaceae) taxirameum (Mitt.) Fleisch. Trematodon (Dicranaceae) longicollis Michx. Thamnobryum (Neckeraceae) alleghaniense (C.M.) Nieuwl. Ulota (Orthotrichaceae) crispa (Hedw.) Brid. Thelia (Theliaceae) hutchinsiae (Sm.) Hamm. asprella Sull. hirtella (Hedw.) Sull. Weissia (Pottiaceae) lescurii Sull. controversa Hedw. 54 BANISTERIA No. 21, 2003 Miscellanea Reports 1. President’s Report The minutes of the December Council meeting are included in this volume. At that meeting, we discussed two important points: (1) Banisteria needs more manuscripts, and (2) the VNHS needs to increase membership. To this end, we decided not to raise membership dues this year, but to add postage to back issue orders. We also agreed to support the 2003 BioBlitz that will take place in Douthat State Park in Bath County (see Council minutes below). Everyone should try to bring at least one new member to the Society this year, and those at institutions whose libraries don’t have a subscription should request that they subscribe. Those of us who haven’t been submitting manuscripts could make an effort to do so this year. We experienced a decline in membership from 2000 to 2001 but the number for 2002 was similar to that in 2001. Thus, we continue to have fewer members than we desire. We need a minimal number so that we can continue to produce our journal. Remember that your dues go primarily to support publication of Banisteria. If you have not already done so, get that check in the mail to renew your membership. Members will note in upcoming issues that the number of pages is lower than some past issues. This 1s entirely due to budget constraints. Please support the VNHS by sending dues early and by contributing donations. During the past year we searched for a new webmaster and found one in John White who has done a great job. Please check out our website at http:// fwie.fw.vt.edu/vnhs/. The 10" Annual Joint Meeting of the Virginia Natural History Society and Natural History and Biodiversity Section of the Virginia Academy of Science 1s scheduled for 29 May 2003 at the University of Virginia. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Abraham, VNHS President 2. Council Meeting Minutes The Elected Council of the VNHS was held at Hampden-Sydney College on December 14, 2002. Council members in attendance were Barbara Abraham, Steve Roble, Joe Mitchell, Dick Neves, Michael Kosztarab, Richard Hoffman, Werner Wieland, and Anne Lund. Werner Wieland, Society president, presided. The minutes of the December 1, 2001 Council meeting were adopted as presented. The president gave a brief VAS report in terms of the Society’s participation. He reported that 143 papers had been presented since the Natural History and Biodiversity section was established in 1994. The secretary/treasurer reported a membership of 158, with a balance on hand, as of November 30, 2002, of $4835.54. Membership lists were circulated for council members to gather information and to correct any errors. The editors reported that Banisteria #20 will be 60-70 pages and would go to press soon. The next issue (#21) will contain a large paper on mosses by a deceased naturalist, David Breil. Associate Editor Tom Wieboldt is getting this paper ready for publication. It was decided that the mailing charges for back issues would be in addition to the $7.50 per copy of the journal. (This change in rates of postage for back issues would be printed in the new brochure for the Society. ) It was decided that an upcoming issue of Banisteria would include a listing of the publication dates of all previous Banisteria numbers. The publication date of Banisteria #19 will appear on the inside front cover of #20, and this practice will be continued in future issues. Old Business included a discussion of the website for the Society. John White, the current webmaster for the Virginia Herpetological Society, will take over the website management, and this will be coordinated through Steve Roble. For his service to the Society, John White will receive a gratis membership. It was agreed that there was no need to change the by-laws of the Society with reference to the terms of office for the councilors. New Business included a discussion of BioBlitz 2003. It was decided that the Society would contribute MISCELLANEA 53 $500 to the effort for the year. Through Banisteria and the website, naturalists throughout the State would be encouraged to participate. The dates for the BioBlitz were announced as May 17-18, with Art Evans being the major organizer. It is expected that 50 to 75 naturalists will participate. Under New Business, membership recruitment was discussed. Steve Roble would make changes in the Society flier and pass the new flier on to the secretary. Archive copies of Banisteria are available at Hampden-Sydney College, and the Council requested an inventory of the back issues of the journal. There was a discussion of changes for membership dues. It was decided that the membership dues would remain the same for another year. Candidates for Vice President/President Elect and Councilor were discussed. The election ballot needs to be prepared before the publication of Banisteria #20. Mike Donahue and Janet Reid have agreed to be candidates for Councilor. Several names were suggested as possible candidates for Vice President/ President Elect. Joe Mitchell and Barbara Abraham agreed to contact those individuals about their willingness to serve in this capacity. There was a discussion of changing the meeting time of the Council from early December to before Thanksgiving. The time of the Council meeting for 2003 was tentatively set for November 15, pending final confirmation by President Barbara Abraham after further consultation with the council members. Respectfully submitted, Anne Lund, Secretary/Treasurer 3. Secretary/Treasurer’s Report As of April 2003 we have 122 members, 11 of which are institutions or libraries. These are both new and renewed memberships for 2003. This is a rather good response from our mailing about renewal of membership that was packaged with the 2nd journal for 2002. At the end of 2002, we had 162 members. As always, we encourage our active members to recruit members for the Society. A membership form is included with this mailing. Pass it on to a friend or colleague interested in the natural history of our state. Some of you will be receiving this issue without having paid your membership for 2003. Please respond to the renewal. Our treasury presently holds $6031.66 (as of March 31, 2003). This includes $1250 that we are holding for the Bioblitz (we have accepted the responsibility of serving as treasurer for that event). We will contribute $500 towards the Bioblitz from our own funds, as well. And we will pay for the printing and mailing costs of this issue of Banisteria from these funds. This leaves $4281.66 to cover costs of two issues of Banisteria with only a relatively small amount left over for the following year and any other unexpected expenses. We are always grateful for contributions from Society members above the regular membership amounts, and we have received twelve such donations this year so far, totaling $375. In addition, we have two patrons and three supporting members. We continue to be grateful to Hampden-Sydney College for support with the paperwork concerning our treasury. The secretary of Gilmer Hall, Hampden- Sydney College, Beckie Smith, has done a fine job of keeping our records of membership, and she has prepared the address labels for all mailings. We thank her for her dedication to these tasks, and we thank the College for supplying this support to the Society. The recent VNHS election resulted in the election of Judy Winston as President-elect (Virginia Museum of Natural History) and Mike Donahue as Councilor (George Washington and Jefferson National Forests). We welcome these new officers and look forward to working with them. Please submit all enquiries about membership in the Society or about past issues of Banisteria to: Dr. Anne Lund, Virginia Natural History Society, Box 62, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia 23943, or email, alund@hsc.edu. Respectfully submitted, Anne Lund, Secretary/Treasurer 4. Editors’ Report The current issue of Banisteria (21) contains a single paper on the mosses of the Virginia Piedmont by the late David Breil. We are indebted to Tom Wieboldt of Virginia Tech for taking the lead on this paper and this issue. Tom did it all in PageMaker this time. We know it was a challenge but he rose to it and made it work. Readers will also note that this issue has somewhat fewer pages than previous issues. This trend will continue for the foreseeable future or until 56 BANISTERIA No. 21, 2003 the VNHS obtains enough financial support to allow The Virginia Natural History Society us to have larger issues again. Part of the concern is Application for Membership printing cost; we simply are not currently bringing in enough money to allow 70-80 page issues. Name Unfortunately, this has other consequences. For the first time we are holding over manuscripts we have Address on hand for the next issue. We cannot say with certainty that we will be able to accommodate every paper we have in a forthcoming issue, something we have done thus far. Some accepted manuscripts may be held over for the following issue. We do not anticipate, however, that this will create a long submission-to-publication Zip Code time as seen in many of the mainstream journals. Thus, we continue to wish for manuscripts and add our plea Phone to that of President Abraham (see above). The Spring 2003 issue of Banisteria (Number 21) should be Area of Interest published close to our intended schedule of mid-Spring and mid-Fall. We have several manuscripts in review, Email most of which should appear in the next issue. The following list includes the official dates of ANNUAL DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS TO publication for Banisteria issues 1-20. We thank Anne BANISTERIA (all memberships and subscriptions Lund for her help with this compilation. are by calendar year) 13 November 1992 18 O $500.00 Life (not annual) 2. 28 October 1993 O $300.00 Benefactor 3. 26 April 1994 O $100.00 Patron 4. 15 October 1994 O $50.00 Supporting 5. 28 April 1995 O $30.00 Institutional 6. 15 December 1995 O $20.00 Family 7. 10 May 1996 O $15.00 Regular 8. 27 December 1996 O $5.00 Student (see below) 9, June 997 O Ihave added a contribution of $ . | January 1998 15 July 1998 . 13 January 1999 . 30 July 1999 . 4 February 2000 . 23 September 2000 . 28 February 2001 to my membership dues. The special student rate 1s applicable only when accompanied by the following certification signed by a faculty advisor. NO KFS RRR RR Ri i DOMAIDMABRWN OO Institution . 24 September 2001 . 18 March 2002 Advisor . 12 September 2002 . 21 February 2003 Date Respectfully submitted, Joe Mitchell and Steve Roble, Co-editors Casrus rey ET frre baccis rubels ere erecto se 5 inclus Lf. Magnolia virginiana Linnaeus Original drawing by John Banister, sent to Bishop D. H. Compton in 1689. Figure 90 in folio in Sir Hans Sloane’s MS 4002 in the British Museum. Photocopy courtesy of Joseph and Nesta Ewan.