Dicranella
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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.
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Family
Dicranaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Small plants in green, yellowish, or brownish tufts. Stems sparsely radiculose below, forked by innovation. below, larger and more crowded above, erect-flexuose to secund, narrowly lanceolate or subulate, gradually tapered from a narrow base or ± abruptly narrowed and spreading from a broad, sheathing base; costa subpercurrent to excurrent, with 1 or 2 stereid bands; cells usually smooth, subquadrate to linear in the upper median region, larger and oblong toward the insertion, not differentiated at the basal angles. Dioicous. Perichaetial leaves similar to the upper stem leaves or sometimes more sheathing at base. Setae single, elongate, erect or flexuous; capsules erect or inclined, symmetric or asymmetric, sometimes strumose, subglobose to oblong-cylindric, smooth or furrowed; operculum long-rostrate, inclined; annulus and stomata often present; peristome teeth sometimes short and irregular but usually well developed and bifid about 1/2 way down, papillose throughout or vertically pitted-striolate below. Spores spherical. Calyptrae cucullate.
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Discussion
The plants resemble a Dicranum on a small scale. The slender leaves have alar cells scarcely differentiated; the peristome teeth are flat, forked to the middle, and almost always pitted-striolate.
The genus is presented here in a broad sense inclusive of Microdus and Anisothecium, as also in Williams' treatment (1913a), which was freely drawn on for some details of description.