Entodontopsis

• 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

  Stereophyllaceae

• Scientific Name

  Entodontopsis

• Description

  Genus Description - Plants in loose or dense, glossy, light- to yellow-green mats. Stems complanate-foliate to subjulaceous. Leaves sometimes crowded, lax or stiff, somewhat wrinkled or contorted and sometimes curved toward the substrate when dry, plane or concave, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate and sometimes lingulate, symmetric or rarely cultriform, acuminate, acute, or obtuse; margins plane or incurved below the middle, entire throughout or serrate to sermlate above and sometimes also serrulate to the base; costa 1/2-2/3 the leaf length; cells long-rhomboidal, smooth or minutely papillose at back owing to projecting cell ends; alar cells commonly strongly differentiated, quadrate, rectangular, or oblate-rectangular. Capsules erect to strongly inclined, straight or slightly curved, cylindric, ellipsoidal, or ovoid, often contracted below the mouth when dry; exothecial cells thin-walled; operculum conic to short-rostrate.

• Discussion

  The genus originally accommodated only E. contorte-operculata (C. Müll.) Broth., which has erect capsules. Because the capsules of many similar species previously assigned to Stereophyllum vary from erect to cernuous, straight to curved, and cylindric to ovoid, Entodontopsis has been broadened and Stereophyllum has been given a narrower definition in terms of inclined capsules and short, centrally papillose leaf cells (Buck & Ireland, 1985).