| Pyxidanthera brevifolia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Diapensiaceae |
| Genus: | Pyxidanthera |
| Species: | P. brevifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Pyxidanthera brevifolia Wells | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Pyxidanthera barbulata var. brevifolia (Wells) H.E. Ahles | |
Pyxidanthera brevifolia, the littleleaf pixiemoss or sandhills pyxie-moss, is a plant species known only from North Carolina and South Carolina. It occurs in deep, sandy soil such as sand hills and sandy ridgetops, sometimes in open pine-oak woodlands, at elevations of 50–200 m (160–660 ft).
Pyxidanthera brevifolia is closely related to the more widespread P. barbulata, and some authors have suggested considering the two as a single species. For the moment, though, Flora of North America and the Kew Gardens Plant List both accept P. brevifolia as a distinct species. The two can be distinguished by the leaves. Leaves of P. brevifolia are shorter than those of P. barbulata, rarely more than 4 millimetres (0.16 in) long. They also lack the marginal cilia characteristic of P. barbulata, and are more intensely woolly on the underside.
References
- Tropicos
- Ahles, Harry E. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 80(2): 173. 1964.
- NRCS. "Pyxidanthera brevifolia". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ^ Flora of North America v 8 p 337
- Kew Gardens Plant List
- Wells, Bertram Whittier. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 44(2): 238–239, pl. 9. 1929.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Pyxidanthera brevifolia |
|