Sematophyllum

  • Authority

    Sharp, Aaron J., et al. 1994. The Moss Flora of Mexico. Part Two: Orthotrichales to Polytrichales. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 69 (2)

  • Family

    Sematophyllaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Sematophyllum

  • Description

    Genus Description - Plants small to moderately robust, in dense, green, yellow-green, golden, or brownish mats, sometimes shiny. Stems creeping, irregularly to subpinnately branched; branches erect-ascending and ± curved or occasionally horizontal and straight. Stem and branch leaves similar, erect-spreading to homomallous or occasionally falcate-secund, concave, elliptic to oblongovate or oblong-lanceolate, acute to acuminate or subulate; margins plane or reflexed, entire or sermlate above; upper cells linear to rhomboidal, smooth, with walls thickened and weakly porose; alar cells abmptly enlarged and often inflated in 1, rarely 2 short rows, oblong, yellowish, the supra-alar cells quadrate and small or occasionally enlarged. Autoicous. Perichaetial leaves erect, long-acuminate. Setae elongate, smooth, reddish; capsules suberect to horizontal, usually ± asymmetric; annulus none; operculum slenderly long-rostrate; exothecial cells subquadrate to short-rectangular, collenchymatous; exostome teeth lanceolate, cross-striolate below, papillose above, with a median zigzag line, bordered, trabeculate; endostome weakly papillose, with a high basal membrane, keeled and often perforate segments, and cilia single or paired. Spores spherical. Calyptrae cucullate.

  • Discussion

    Sematophyllum is generally recognized by homomallous or even falcate-secund leaves with smooth cells and a few, abmptly differentiated bubble-cells at the basal angles and a small group of quadrate cells above them. The exostome teeth are not furrowed, the endostome is well developed, and the exothecial cells are thickened at the corners. (Acroporium is similar in most respects but has furrowed peristome teeth.)