Fissidens Moss

Description

Plants to 6 - 1.5 mm. Stem usually branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand present. Leaves as many as 22 pairs, ovate to lanceolate, rounded to obtuse-apiculate, apiculus formed of a single, clear, sharp cell, to 1 - 0.1-0.4 mm, perichaetial and larger leaves oblong to oblong-ligulate and lanceolate; dorsal lamina usually narrowed abruptly proximally, often arched, ending well before insertion; vaginant laminae 1/2-3/4 leaf length, - equal, minor lamina ending on or near margin; margin - entire but serrulate distally, elimbate or limbate, limbidium 1-stratose, restricted to vaginant laminae or found to variable degrees on all laminae, often conspicuously intralaminal in proximal parts of vaginant laminae; costa ending 2-5 cells before apex or percurrent, bryoides-type; laminal cells 1-stratose, smooth, strongly bulging, - obscure, usually arranged in discernable rows distally, firm-walled, 6-10 -m, twice as deep as wide. Sexual condition cladautoicous, gonioautoicous, and possibly rhizautoicous. Sporophytes 1 per perichaetium. Seta to 5 mm. Capsule theca exserted, slightly inclined, bilaterally symmetric to erect, radially symmetric, to 1 mm; peristome bryoides-type; operculum 0.3 mm. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, 0.6 mm. Spores 14-23 -m.