Bryol. Eur. 6: 5. 1853. Hypnum sect. Brachythecium (Schimp.) Sull. in A. Gray, Manual (ed. 2) 675. 1856. Hypnum subgen. Brachythecium (Schimp.) Hobk., Syn. Brit. Mosses 148. 1873.

Brachythecium subgen. Chamberlainia (Grout) Vohra, Rec. Bot. Surv. India 23: 215. 1983. Chamberlainia Grout, Moss Fl. N. Amer. 3: 27. 1928.

 

Plants small, medium-sized to rather robust, green, yellowish green, or pale green, usually glossy, usually in flat mats. Stems prostrate, sometimes ascending or erect, regularly pinnately or irregularly subpinnately branched, sometimes with branches curved. Stem and branch leaves similar or differentiated; stem leaves broadly ovate-, oblong-ovate-, cordate-, or triangular-lanceolate, abruptly or gradually acuminate at apex, decurrent or not decurrent at base; margins usually entire below, serrulate above; costae single, slender or stout, mostly extending to above mid-leaf, sometimes nearly percurrent; median leaf cells rhomboidal, linear-rhomboidal to linear, smooth; basal cells shorter, lax, quadrate or shortly rectangular; alar cells usually differentiated; branch leaves mostly narrowly ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate. Autoicous or dioicous. Inner perichaetial leaves large, slenderly lanceolate. Setae elongate, smooth or papillose; capsules inclined or horizontal, rarely erect, elongate-ovoid, ellipsoidal, usually curved, asymmetric; opercula shortly conic-rostrate; annuli usually developed; peristome double; exostome teeth lanceolate, cross-striolate below, papillose, trabeculate; endostome segments usually as long as the teeth, linear-lanceolate, keeled, perforate; basal membrane high; cilia usually present, nodulose. Calyptrae cucullate, smooth. Spores spherical, small, yellowish or yellowish brown, smooth or papillose.

 

 

1. Main stems more than 4 cm long............................................................................................................................ 2

1. Main stems significantly less than 4 cm long..................................................................................................... 30

2. Stems irregularly pinnately branched................................................................................................................. 3

2. Stems regularly pinnately branched.................................................................................................................. 17

3. Stem and branch leaves heteromorphous................................................................................. 17. B. kuroishicum

3. Stem and branch leaves homomorphous or only slightly different in sizes........................................................ 4

4. Leaf apices shortly acuminate or acute.............................................................................................................. 5

4. Leaf apices slender or long piliform................................................................................................................ 10

5. Leaves not or only indistinctly decurrent at base; leaf apices acuminate........................................................... 6

5. Leaves clearly decurrent at base; leaf apices acute............................................................................................... 8

6. Branches stout; leaves lanceolate.................................................................................................. 1. B. albicans

6. Branches slender or moderately thick; leaves ovate......................................................................................... 7

7. Costae ending at mid-leaf or below; leaf margins serrate above the widest leaf bases.............. 12. B. glaciale

7. Costae extending beyond mid-leaf to 2/3 the leaf length; leaf margins entire or serrulate above............ 35. B. rutabulum

8. Leaves oblong-ovate, with widest part above the insertion............................................... 16. B. homocladum

8. Leaves ovate, with widest part at leaf insertion................................................................................................. 9

9. Alar cells rarely inflated; costae extending to 4/5 the leaf length......................................... 20. B. oedipodium

9. Alar cells mostly inflated; costae ending at mid-leaf or slightly above....................................... 33.B. rivulare

10. Stems and branches flattened; leaf cells lax, basal cells not clearly differentiated........11. B. garovaglioides

10. Stems and branches more or less julaceous; leaf cells not lax, basal cells clearly differentiated........... 11

11. Leaves long ovate-lanceolate.............................................................................................................................. 12

11. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate............................................................................................................................. 13

12. Leaves falcate-secund; stems with reddish, clustered rhizoids..................................... 8. B. erythrorrhizon

12. Leaves not falcate-secund; stems without reddish, clustered rhizoids............................... 21. B. pendulum

13. Leaves irregularly longitudinally multi-plicate................................................................................................. 14

13. Leaves smooth or only longitudinally bi-plicate.............................................................................................. 16

14. Median leaf cells distinctly vermicular, with rounded ends.................................... 15. B. helminthocladum

14. Median leaf cells nearly linear, with angled ends......................................................................................... 15

15. Stem leaves broadly ovate at base, abruptly narrowed to a long piliferous apex.................. 13. B. glareosum

15. Stem leaves oblong-ovate at base, gradually acuminate to a shortly piliferous apex............ 4. B. buchananii

16. Leaves plane, not plicate........................................................................................................... 18. B. moriense

16. Leaves concave, bi-plicate.................................................................................................. 29. B. procumbens

17. Costae ending in the leaf acumen or close to leaf apex................................................................................... 18

17. Costae extending to just above mid-leaf............................................................................................................ 20

18. Leaf bases at insertion cordate, strongly decurrent........................................................ 25. B. pinnirameum

18. Leaf bases at insertion truncate or nearly so, only somewhat decurrent.................................................... 19

19. Median leaf cells elongate-rhomboidal, with length vs. width ratio 6–8 to 1........................ 28. B. populeum

19. Median leaf cells linear, with length vs. width ratio 18–23 to 1........................................ 30. B. propinnatum

20. Stems slender, soft.......................................................................................................................................... 21

20. Stems thick, stiff.............................................................................................................................................. 23

21. Stems sparsely branched; alar cells differentiated, not extending close to costa at leaf base.... 37. B. starkii

21. Stems densely branched; alar cells differentiated, extending close to costa at leaf base............................. 22

22. Leaves gradually acuminate toward apex; leaf bases decurrent............................................. 19. B. noguchii

22. Leaves abruptly narrowed to a subulate apex; leaf bases not decurrent........................... 42. B. yunnanense

23. Leaf apices shortly acuminate to narrowly acute; leaf bases strongly constricted............. 36. B. salebrosum

23. Leaf apices long acuminate; leaf bases broad, scarcely constricted............................................................... 24

24. Alar cells extensively differentiated, extending close to costa at leaf base............................................... 25

24. Alar cells moderately differentiated, not extending toward costa............................................................... 26

25. Stems sparsely branched; stem leaves narrowly ovate-lanceolate.............................................. 2. B. amnicola

25. Stems densely branched; stem leaves broadly ovate or triangular-lanceolate.............. 9. B. fasciculirameum

26. Median leaf cells usually 90–103 µm long; leaves elongate-ovate-lanceolate.................... 6. B. coreanum

26. Median leaf cells usually 55–90 µm long; leaves triangularly or shortly ovate-lanceolate...................... 27

27. Stems bi-pinnately branched...................................................................................................... 27. B. plumosum

27. Stems uni-pinnately branched............................................................................................................................. 28

28. Leaves distinctly secund................................................................................................. 5. B. campylothallum

28. Leaves not or only slightly secund................................................................................................................. 29

29. Leaf bases broadly cordate, strongly decurrent............................................................................. 3. B. brotheri

29. Leaf bases truncate, slightly decurrent................................................................................. 41. B. viridefactum

30. Stems pinnately branched................................................................................................................................ 31

30. Stems irregularly pinnately branched............................................................................................................. 35

31. Main stems sparsely pinnately branched; leaves ovate-lanceolate, abruptly narrowed to a long piliform apex........................................................................................................................................34. B. rotaeanum

31. Main stems densely pinnately branched; leaves lanceolate or narrowly ovate-lanceolate, gradually narrowed to a shortly acuminate or slender apex.............................................................................................. 32

32. Stems soft......................................................................................................................................................... 33

32. Stems stiff........................................................................................................................................................ 34

33. Leaf bases cordate at insertion; alar cells extending close to costa at leaf base................... 38. B. thraustum

33. Leaf bases truncate at insertion; alar cells not extending close to costa at leaf base............ 40. B. velutinum

34. Stem leaves narrowly ovate-lanceolate, not reflexed at apex............................................ 31. B. pulchellum

34. Stem leaves deltoid or ovate-lanceolate, mostly reflexed at apex........................................ 32. B. reflexum

35. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, abruptly narrowed to a slenderly acuminate apex................................................... 36

35. Leaves lanceolate or narrowly ovate-lanceolate, gradually acuminate at apex.............................................. 39

36. Costae of stem leaves ending just above mid-leaf............................................................ 10. B. formosanum

36. Costae of stem leaves extending close to leaf apex..................................................................................... 37

37. Alar cells confined, not extending close to costa at leaf base; median leaf cells elongate, 55–67 µm long, with angled ends.......................................................................................................................... 14. B. glauculum

37. Alar cells broader, extending close to costa at leaf base; median leaf cells short, 30–55 µm long, with rounded or

obtuse ends........................................................................................................................................................... 38

38. Median leaf cells 30–42 µm long; alar cells not extending upward along basal margins.........7. B. dicranoides

38. Median leaf cells 40–55 µm long; alar cells extending upward along basal margins............. 39. B. uncinifolium

39. Stem leaf apices twisted; branch leaf bases conspicuously constricted............................. 23. B. perscabrum

39. Stem leaf apices not twisted; branch leaf bases not distinctly constricted.................................................... 40

40. Leaf apices long piliform; median leaf cells 75–90 µm × 4–6 µm........................... 22. B. perminusculum

40. Leaf apices shortly piliform or slenderly acuminate; median leaf cells 35–70 µm × 7–8 µm................. 41

41. Stem leaves concave, only slightly plicate, not secund; branch leaves abruptly shortly piliform, margins entire or finely serrulate near apex............................................................................................. 24. B. piligerum

41. Stem leaves not concave, distinctly plicate, usually secund; branch leaves gradually acuminate, margins often serrulate above 1/3 the leaf length............................................................................. 26. B. planiusculum