Leucobryaceae

Diagnosis: Plants in dense to loose turfs and cushions, glaucous green or with a pink to purple tone at base, 0.5-3 cm high. Leaves erect-patent to curved spreading, flattened, strap-shaped, apiculate, 3-8 mm long; margins with limbidia inconspicuous, 1-2 cells wide, sometimes undulate due to presence of marginal inflated leucocysts alone in rows of 3-5 (or more); basal lamina with elongate hexagonal to rectangular leucocysts, in 1(-2) layers, pores narrow and inconspicuous; cross section of leaf at middle elliptic with a central layer of chlorocysts surrounded by 3-4 layers of leucocysts on each surface. Setae 2-8 mm long, yellow to orange-red; capsules erect to subinclined, oval, orange-red, darker and contracted at mouth; peristome teeth 8,smooth to vertically striate or reticulate. Spores 20-25 µm in diameter.

Distribution: cosmopolitan

Ecology: On bark (particularly palms) at base of trees and shrubs, decomposing logs, soil and rocks; characteristically a lowland species but also occurring in upland forest.

Type Citation: Species Muscorum Frondosorum 50. 1801.

Type Locality: Jamaica

Type Collection: Swartz

Types Deposited at: Holotype: G

Other Published Figures: E. B. Bartram. 1949. Mosses of Guatamala. fig. 32 A-D; P. A. Florschutz. 1964. Musci. Flora of Suriname 6(1): 1-271. fig. 39 A-H.