Status: Native
Synonyms:
Anomodon tristis Sullivant & Lesquereux
(and more than 13 other synonyms-- see http://floranorthamerica.org/Anomodon_tristis for more)
Haplohymenium triste, when first seen, does not appear to be an Anomodontaceae at all because of its small size and wiry appearance. Microscopically, it looks like a shrunken down, smaller version of Anomodon minor, but it is not complanate as is A. minor and many of the leaves of H. tristis are broken off at midleaf. It is so small that we misidentified it in the field as Platydictya. The leaves of H. triste have a broad base rather abruptly narrowed to the apex at around midleaf. The cells at midleaf are nearly round with several low conical papillae that are either simple or branched into two. The marginal papillae appear larger and give the margin a toothed or wavy appearance. The leaves are fragile and the broken tips are reminiscent of Syntrichia fragilis. According to FNA, H. triste is found on tree trunks, but this specimen was found growing as a thin wiry mat under the overhang of a large boulder at about 7500 feet elevation in mixed conifer forest.
We first found Haplohymenium triste in San Miguel County, but now have found it in the Gila National Forest. Interestingly, the specimen from the Gila was also found growing as a thin wiry mat under the overhang of a large boulder rather than on wood. To see the San Miguel specimen, please click Haplohymenium in San Miguel County.
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Haplohymenium triste, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant County, Gila National Forest, Wilson Canyon, along Wilson Creek on the undersurface of a very large boulder, December 5, 2026
Haplohymenium triste, photomicrograph of stems in mat, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant County, Gila National Forest, Wilson Canyon, along Wilson Creek on the undersurface of a very large boulder, December 5, 2026
Haplohymenium triste, photomicrograph of single stem, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant County, Gila National Forest, Wilson Canyon, along Wilson Creek on the undersurface of a very large boulder, December 5, 2026
Haplohymenium triste, photomicrograph of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant County, Gila National Forest, Wilson Canyon, along Wilson Creek on the undersurface of a very large boulder, December 5, 2026
Haplohymenium triste, photomicrograph of leaf apex, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant County, Gila National Forest, Wilson Canyon, along Wilson Creek on the undersurface of a very large boulder, December 5, 2026
Haplohymenium triste, photomicrograph of leaf base, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Grant County, Gila National Forest, Wilson Canyon, along Wilson Creek on the undersurface of a very large boulder, December 5, 2026
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