Pottiaceae

Diagnosis: Plants in loose or dense, brownish-green tufts 2-3 mm tall in depauperate forms or as much as 8 mm in mesic or hydric forms. Leaves crisped and twisted when dry, loosely spreading when moist, 1-4 x 0.75-2 mm, oblong, oblong-lingulate or obovate, narrowed at the insertion, emarginate, rounded or acute; margins plane, entire or slightly denticulate at the apex; costa slender, brown or yellow, smooth, ending a few cells below the apex or percurrent; upper cells 20-40 x 15-30 µm, irregularly rectangular to hexagonal, thin-walled, smooth; marginal cells yellow to red, linear, thick-walled and 4-6 stratose; basal cells gradually differentiated. Setae 8-12 mm long, red; capsule ca. 2 mm long, straight, with an abrupt neck, red; peristome red, straight or slightly twisted. Spores 11-13 µm diameter.

Distribution: Mexico; Central America; Caribbean, Western and Northern South America, Brazil

Ecology: On soil along streams, disturbed banks or exposed rocks, 200-1300 m.

Basionym: Barbula mniifolia Sull.

Basionym Citation: Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 5: 277. 1861.

Other Published Figures: Sharp et al. 1994, Moss Flora of Mexico, fig. 236; B. Allen. 2002. Moss Flora of Central America. fig. 29