Bruchia

• Authority

  Sharp, Aaron J., et al. 1994. The Moss Flora of Mexico. Part One: Sphagnales to Bryales. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 69 (1): 1-452.

• Family

  Bruchiaceae

• Scientific Name

  Bruchia

• Description

  Species Description - Plants very small, gregarious, yellowish or brownish. Leaves larger and more crowded above, lance- to subulate-from a broader, oblong or oblong-ovate base or rarely ovate and rounded-obtuse, broadly acute, or short-cuspidate; costa subpercurrent to short-excurrent, usually filling the subula; upper cells firm or thick-walled, subquadrate to rectangular or oblong-linear, smooth or papillose at back because of thickened upper ends; basal cells broader and laxer, not differentiated at leaf angles. Setae generally very short (rarely as much as 5 mm long), usually ± curved, yellowish; capsules immersed to barely exserted, or rarely distinctly so, obovoid to pyriform with a broad, usually conspicuous neck up to about 1/2 the total length of the capsule, apiculate to rostrate; operculum and peristome none. Calyptrae mitrate, smooth or coarsely papillose because of projecting upper ends of cells.

• Discussion

  Bruchia is a pygmy ephemeral characterized by mitrate calyptrae and erect, shortly pyriform, indehiscent capsules that are generally immersed to barely exserted. The spores are large and more or less kidney-shaped. The genus was recently monographed by Rushing (1986).