Flora of North America species comparison

(0.5–)1–4 cm tall, rather wiry, unbranched, comose at the tips, whitish tomentose only near the base.

2–6(–10) cm, simple or more commonly fasciculately branched, whitish tomentose only at base.

(2–)3–4 mm, erect, straight and slightly incurved when dry, erect-spreading when moist;

sheath ovate, ± contracted to the blade;

blade linear-lanceolate, turgid, with sharply infolded margins, the leaf apex abruptly contracted to the base of the awn;

marginal lamina 5–8 cells wide, 1-stratose, membranous, entire to finely serrulate toward the apex, enclosing the lamellae and overlapping in distal half or more;

costa typically smooth abaxially, long-excurrent as a spinulose-toothed, hyaline awn;

lamellae in profile crenulate-dentate to serrulate, with crenulations directed towards the leaf apex, (4–)6–8 cells high, the marginal cells in section conic to distinctly pyriform, terminating in a distinct knob, the marginal cells of the lateral lamellae ovoid, thinner-walled;

sheath cells 60–80 × 10–15 µm, elongate-rectangular (4–6:1);

cells of marginal lamina transversely elongated, ± irregular and sinuous, smaller toward the margins and obliquely oriented, especially approaching the apex, thick-walled.

3–6 mm, crowded in distal half stem, erect and closely appressed when dry, erect-spreading when moist;

sheath rectangular, abruptly contracted to the blade;

blade linear-lanceolate, rather flat, with sharply infolded margins, channeled at the apex and tapering to the bicolored awn;

marginal lamina 7–9 cells wide, 1-stratose, entire, membranous, infolded and overlapping, completely enclosing the lamellae;

costa excurrent with low blunt teeth abaxially near apex, the awn coarsely spinulose at the base, brown in the basal 1/3 to 1/2, hyaline distally;

lamellae 5–9 cells high, the marginal cells in section ovoid, somewhat larger than cells below, thin-walled or very slightly thickened at apex;

median sheath cells 45–90 × 12–15 µm, narrowly rectangular, thin-walled;

cells of marginal lamina 10–15 × 24–45 µm, thick-walled, obliquely oriented and shorter toward the margin and thin-walled.

1–3 cm, stout, flexuose, reddish brown.

rather short for plant size, 1.2–3 cm, reddish.

dioicous;

perigonia intense wine-red;

perichaetial leaves a little longer than foliage leaves, with hyaline lamina and longer awns.

dioicous;

perichaetial leaves elongate, with hyaline lamina and long, tapering awn.

2.5–3.5 mm, short to almost cubic (1.5–2:1), inclined, becoming horizontal when mature;

peristome rather short, 110–180(–200) µm, divided to 0.6, the teeth about 64, obtuse.

2.3–3 mm, ovoid-rectangular (1.2–2:1), somewhat broader at base, sharply 4(–5)-angled, erect, becoming inclined to horizontal when mature;

peristome 150–230 µm, divided to 0.6, the teeth pale brownish, acute.

dirty white to light brown, enclosing the capsule.

9–12 µm.

15–17 µm.