Odontoschisma atropurpureum Steph.

  • 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 atropurpureum Steph.

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants small to tiny, deep red to purple, in mats or more frequently scattered among other bryophytes; stems 1 cm or less long, with leaves 0.5-1.0 mm wide, recurved, the rows of leaves usually folded together; branches ventral-intercalary, rare, leafy or stolon-like, short, whitish or pigmented. Rhizoids few, along the ventral side of the stem. Line of leaf insertion oblique. Leaves tending to be ascendant, orbicular to subrectangular, slightly concave, the margin curved upward; cells of the apical margin mostly 20 µ, the outer wall thickened; cells below the margin 20-25 X 20-15 µ, with thin pits separating the large knot-like trigones, the pits tending to be filled with secondary thickening, with the cell lumen rounded, the cuticle verruculose. Underleaves very small, of a few cells, erect-spreading. Sexual branches not seen.

  • Distribution

    Habitat; Over exposed soil, rocks, cliffs and tree trunks, especially at high elevations.

    Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Ecuador South America|