Venturiella sinensis var. angusti-annulata Griffin

This is a species that has traditionally been reported as having a very limited range in North America. The most recent treatment of the species for North America is that of Pursell and Allen (2007) who indicate the species is present in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The Texas record is from Culberson County (Guadalupe Mountains in far west Texas) and represents the first (and previously only) record for the state. Quedensley, Kruse, and Morse (2021) reported a collection from Montague County as part of a localized floristic survey.

However, additional field work over the past 4 years has documented the species from 10 additional counties in the broader northeast Texas region. More field surveys are needed, and are currently underway, to fully document the poorly known range of this species within Texas.

References:

Pursell, R., B. Allen. 2007. Erpodiaceae in: Flora of North America Editorial Committee (eds.). Flora of North America North of Mexico. Vol. 27. Bryophytes: Mosses, Part 1. Oxford University Press, New York.

Quedensley, T. S., D. A. Kruse, C. A. Morse. 2021. An Inventory of a Private Property Illustrates Diverse Cryptogam Floras in North Central Texas. Castaenea 86(2): 245–265.

UPDATE (22 March 2026): We spent last week making collections in several north-central Texas counties. After collecting for an hour or so in a local cemetery, we made one last stop before continuing our journey to the next county. On the off-chance that the slight-discoloration on the roadside tree was something different, we jumped out of the car and were pleasantly surprised to find a healthy population of V. sinensis var. angusti-angulata, with numerous sporophytes, on the bark of an elm tree. This record added an additional county (now 11) to the known distribution of the species in Texas.