Flora of North America species comparison

long-creeping, branched, branches 2–3-forked, flat, not articulate, glabrous.

radially symmetric, creeping or decumbent, not readily fragmenting, irregularly forked, without budlike arrested branches, tips straight;

main stem long, indeterminate, lateral branches determinate, ascending, 1–2-forked.

delicate and papery.

monomorphic, in ± alternate pseudowhorls of 4, tightly or loosely appressed, ascending, green, linear-lanceolate, (1.5–)1.8–3.5 × 0.39–0.66 mm;

abaxial ridges well defined;

base rounded and adnate or cuneate and slightly decurrent on fleshy, loosely appressed stem leaves (from wet places), pubescent, seldom glabrous;

margins short-ciliate to denticulate, cilia transparent, spreading at base, dentiform, and ascending toward apex, 0.03–0.06(–0.1) mm;

apex keeled and obtuse, sometimes attenuate or plane and attenuate, abruptly short- to long-bristled;

bristle transparent to whitish, puberulent, sometimes breaking off, (0.16–)0.2–0.46(–0.9) mm.

paired, 0.6–1.1 cm;

sporophylls monomorphic, ovate-lanceolate, keeled, keel not dentate, base glabrous, margins green, entire or with a few scattered, short cilia, apex acute to acuminate.

often paired, 1–4.5(–9) cm;

sporophylls deltate-ovate (mostly on exposed and compact mats) or lanceolate-ovate (on loose, spreading mats from wet places), abaxial ridges well defined, base glabrous, margins short-ciliate to denticulate, apex keeled, abruptly short-bristled, seldom tapering into bristle.

borne on underside of stems throughout stem length or restricted to proximal ± 2/3 of main stem or axillary throughout stem, 0.2–0.4 mm diam.

borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.23–0.36(–0.4) mm diam.

leaves spreading or slightly ascending, distant, shiny green becoming shiny brown, with orange or red spot or entirely reddish, ovate to ovate-oblong or oblong, 1.5–3.2 X (1–)1.5–2.2 mm;

base auriculate, basiscopic auricle conspicuous, acroscopic auricle inconspicuous or base ± rounded;

margins green, ciliate toward auricles, otherwise entire;

apex rounded to obtuse or truncate.

leaves ovate-oblong, (1.8–)2–2.2 × 1–1.3 mm;

base auriculate, outer auricle larger than inner one;

margins green, ciliate at auricles, otherwise entire;

apex abruptly cuspidate to bristled.