Leucobryaceae

Diagnosis: Plants in dense tufts, glaucous green, pinkish towards base, 0.5-2 cm high. Leaces erect to curved outwards above middle, flattened dorsiventrally, strap-shaped, apiculate to shortly acuminate, not fragile, 4-8 mm long; margins conspicuous at apex, 1-2 cells wide, entire to undulate towards apex, rarely toothed; basal hyaline lamina gradually tapering to the coastal area with quadrate leucocysts at center next to costa, short hexagonal cells near border, quadrate to rectangular at base; cross section of leaf elliptic, with a central layer of chlorocysts surrounded by 2-3 layers of leucocysts. Setae smooth, 8-20 mm long, straw-colored to light orange-red; capsules long cylindric, erect to arcuate or subinclined, urn slightly contracted below mouth, peristome teeth 8, with thickened midline and trabeculate, and diagonal to vertical striations. Spores 8-21 µm, strongly granular.

Distribution: Central America; Caibbean; Western and Northern South America, Brazil

Ecology: In dense turfs on trunks of trees, moist sand and stones.

Notes: Octoblepharum cylindricum differs from O. albidum by its longer setae, cylindrical capsules, entire leaf apices, and strongly trabeculate peristome teeth.

Type Citation: Annales des Sciences Naturelles; Botanique, sér. 2, 14: 349. 1840.

Type Locality: French Guiana

Type Collection: Leprieur 282

Other Published Figures: P. A. Florschutz. 1964. Musci. Flora of Surinam 6(1): 1-271. fig. 40a-h