Brachytheciaceae

Diagnosis: Plants of moderate size, in soft, flat, shiny, bright- or yellow-green mats, irregularly branched. Stem and branch leaves wide-spreading and somewhat complanate, smooth, concave, 1.5-2.0 mm long, oblong-ovate, slenderly acuminate, twisted at the apex; margins plane or erect, distinctly serrulate in the upper 2/3 or nearly to the base; costa slender, extending about 3/4 the leaf length; cells linear-flexuose, not differentiated at the basal angles. Setae smooth, flexuose, yellow or orange-yellow, 10-30 mm long; capsules horizontal, curved-asymmetric, oblong-cylindric but becoming narrow, strongly contracted below the mouth, and strongly curved when dry and empty, 1.5-2 mm long; annulus well developed. Spores 9-16 µm diameter.

Distribution: North and South America and Caribbean region

Ecology: Growing mostly on soil or thin soil over rocks or on humus, in mesic to humid forests or commonly in exposed habitats, 100-1800 m.

Basionym: Hypnum serrulatum Hedw.

Basionym Citation: Species Muscorum Frondosorum 238. pl. 60. 1801.