Odontoschisma

• Authority

  Fulford, Margaret H. 1968. Manual of the leafy Hepaticae of Latin America--Part III. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 11: 277-392.

• Family

  Cephaloziaceae

• Scientific Name

  Odontoschisma

• Description

  Genus Description - Plant, delicate to large and coarse, whitish, light to dark green, yellow-brown or red to purple, caespitose or among other bryophytes. Stems prostrate, sometimes becoming flagelliform, or erect radial, small-leaved, gemmiparous; branches ventral-intercalary, leafy, flagelliform (stolon-like) or short sexual; stem in transverse section 6-12 cells in diam, the cortical layer of many rows of cells usually little different from the cells of the medulla. Rhizoids from cells along the ventral side of the stem. Line of leaf insertion oblique, sometimes nearly longitudinal, the leaves succubous. Leaves orbicular to ovate, undivided or rarely emarginate, the margin plane or upcurved, the cells uniformly thin-walled or with small or large trigones separated by thin-walled pits, the marginal cells sometimes different and forming a border. Underleaves scale-like, few-celled. Plants dioicous. Male inflorescence a bud- or catkin-like ventral branch. Female inflorescence on a short ventral branch, the bracts in 3 or 4 series, bifid. Perianth long, 3-keeled above, the mouth contracted, the 3 lobes crenulate, setulose or short or long ciliate. Capsule oval, brown, the wall of 2 layers of cells with characteristic markings. Gemmae 2-celled, thin-walled, green or red, borne at the tips of small-leaved erect shoots.

• Discussion

  Pleuroschisma sect. Odontoschisma Dumortier, Syll. Jungerm. 68. 1831. Sphagnoecetis Nees in G. L. & N. Syn. Hep. 148. 1845. Cephalozia subg. Odontoschisma Spruce, On Cephalozia 59. 1882. Type: Jungermannia sphagni Dickson, 1785.