Calymperaceae
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Authority
Buck, William R. 2003. Guide to the plants of central french Guiana. Part 3. Mosses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76: 1-167.
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Family
Calymperaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Genus Description - Plants small to somewhat robust, tufted or in turfs; stems mostly erect, simple to irregularly branched. Leaves straight to crispate or variously contorted when dry, mostly lanceolate, sometimes linear, usually from a strongly expanded, usually appressed base; margins entire to strongly toothed to ciliate, often limbate or thickened; costa single, subpercurrent to excurrent; cells of upper lamina ± isodiametric to oblate to short-rectangular, smooth, unipapillose or pluripapillose; cells of leaf base strongly differentiated in extensive hyaline areas (cancellinae), sometimes differentiated and elongate intramarginally (teniolae) at shoulders or above. Asexual reproduction common, by gemmae, often on differentiated leaves. Usually dioicous. Perichaetia terminal on stems and branches; leaves scarcely differentiated. Setae mostly elongate, straight; capsules erect, symmetric, smooth; peristome single or none, teeth often reduced, entire, papillose. Calyptrae cucullate and deciduous or clasping the seta below the capsule and persistent. The Calymperaceae are the best represented family in the flora area. Although there are only two genera, 25 species have been collected. To the uninitiated, generic boundaries can be confusing. Unfortunately sterile specimens, the usual state, can be difficult to assign to the proper genus. The family was monographed by Reese (1993) for the New World and the following keys are adapted from that treatment.