Dicranum

• 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

  Dicranaceae

• Scientific Name

  Dicranum

• Description

  Genus Description - Plants medium sized to robust, usually glossy, in dense, green, yellowish- or brownish-green, tomentose tufts. Stems erect, simple or forked, sometimes bearing terete, microphyllous branchlets in leaf axils. Leaves lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, gradually acuminate, keeled or tubulose, spreading-flexuose to falcate-secund, sometimes crisped when dry; margins plane, usually strongly serrate above; costa narrow, subpercurrent to shortly excurrent, often 2-4-ridged and serrate on the dorsal surface, with 2 stereid bands; cells smooth or papillose on the dorsal surface, thick-walled, pitted, elongate, the upper cells sometimes quadrate to short-rectangular and non-pitted; alar cells inflated, mostly non-pitted, usually yellowish-brown, often bistratose. Dioicous or pseudautoicous (male plants similar to female plants or dwarfed and growing on leaves and tomentum of female plants). Inner perichaetial leaves sheathing. Setae single or clustered, elongate, smooth, yellow, brown, or reddish, straight to flexuose, twisted when dry; capsules cylindric, straight and erect or curved and inclined to horizontal, smooth, sometimes furrowed when dry; annulus of 1-3 rows of deciduous or persistent cells, or sometimes lacking; operculum long-rostrate; peristome teeth divided about half-way into 2 (rarely 3) segments, vertically pitted-striolate below, papillose above. Spores spherical to ellipsoidal, minutely papillose. Calyptrae cucullate, smooth, entire at base.