Plants medium-sized [to moderately large], in thin to dense, flat mats, often glossy. Stems creeping, simple or sparingly and irregularly branched, complanate-foliate to julaceous; cortical cells small, walls thick; pseudoparaphyllia filamentous [sometimes foliose]; rhizoids in clusters below leaf insertion on abaxial stem surface, smooth [or papillose]; axillary hair basal cell 1, brown, apical cells 3-6, hyaline. Leaves erect to wide-spreading, usually imbricate when dry, lanceolate to ovate, symmetric or rarely asymmetric, flat to somewhat concave; base not decurrent; margins plane or incurved, entire to serrulate distally; apex obtuse to long-acuminate; costa single, 1/3-3/4 leaf length, or rarely ecostate; alar cells differentiated, quadrate, rectangular, or oblate, collenchymatous, regions usually large, often unequally distributed on either side of costa, always covering adaxial costa surface; distal laminal cells linear to rhomboidal, smooth, rarely 1-papillose over lumina or prorulose at distal ends on abaxial surface, walls thin or thick, not porose. Specialized asexual reproduction unknown. Sexual condition autoicous [rarely dioicous], often producing sporophytes; perigonia scattered along stem, leaves ovate. Seta single, long, straight to somewhat flexuose, smooth. Capsule cernuous or erect, straight or slightly curved, contracted below mouth when dry, smooth; exothecial cell walls thin or thick; annulus differentiated and deciduous, or undifferentiated; operculum conic to short-rostrate; peristome double; exostome teeth bordered, external surface cross striolate proximally, papillose distally, internal surface ± projecting; endostome basal membrane high or low, segments keeled, perforate, shorter than or almost as long as exostome teeth, cilia present or absent. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, naked. Spores spheric to ovoid, minutely papillose. SELECTED REFERENCES Buck, W. R. and R. R. Ireland. 1985. A reclassification of the Plagiotheciaceae. Nova Hedwigia 41: 89-125. Grout, A. J. 1945. A revision of the North American species of Stereophyllum and Pilosium, with descriptions of some South American species. Bryologist 48: 60-70. Ireland, R. R. and W. R. Buck. 1994. Stereophyllaceae. In: Organization for Flora Neotropica. 1968+. Flora Neotropica. 109+ nos. New York. No. 65. SELECTED REFERENCES Buck, W. R. and R. R. Ireland. 1985. A reclassification of the Plagiotheciaceae. Nova Hedwigia 41: 89-125. Grout, A. J. 1945. A revision of the North American species of Stereophyllum and Pilosium, with descriptions of some South American species. Bryologist 48: 60-70. Ireland, R. R. and W. R. Buck. 1994. Stereophyllaceae. In: Organization for Flora Neotropica. 1968+. Flora Neotropica. 109+ nos. New York. No. 65. Plants medium-sized [to moderately large], in thin to dense, flat mats, often glossy. Stems creeping, simple or sparingly and irregularly branched, complanate-foliate to julaceous; cortical cells small, walls thick; pseudoparaphyllia filamentous [sometimes foliose]; rhizoids in clusters below leaf insertion on abaxial stem surface, smooth [or papillose]; axillary hair basal cell 1, brown, apical cells 3-6, hyaline. Leaves erect to wide-spreading, usually imbricate when dry, lanceolate to ovate, symmetric or rarely asymmetric, flat to somewhat concave; base not decurrent; margins plane or incurved, entire to serrulate distally; apex obtuse to long-acuminate; costa single, 1/3-3/4 leaf length, or rarely ecostate; alar cells differentiated, quadrate, rectangular, or oblate, collenchymatous, regions usually large, often unequally distributed on either side of costa, always covering adaxial costa surface; distal laminal cells linear to rhomboidal, smooth, rarely 1-papillose over lumina or prorulose at distal ends on abaxial surface, walls thin or thick, not porose. Specialized asexual reproduction unknown. Sexual condition autoicous [rarely dioicous], often producing sporophytes; perigonia scattered along stem, leaves ovate. Seta single, long, straight to somewhat flexuose, smooth. Capsule cernuous or erect, straight or slightly curved, contracted below mouth when dry, smooth; exothecial cell walls thin or thick; annulus differentiated and deciduous, or undifferentiated; operculum conic to short-rostrate; peristome double; exostome teeth bordered, external surface cross striolate proximally, papillose distally, internal surface ± projecting; endostome basal membrane high or low, segments keeled, perforate, shorter than or almost as long as exostome teeth, cilia present or absent. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, naked. Spores spheric to ovoid, minutely papillose.General Information
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Literature
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Flora of North America @ efloras.org
Literature
