Flora of North America species comparison

leaves smaller than branch leaves, oblong to lingulate, moderately lacerate across broad rounded apex, border entire and broad at base;

hyaline cells rhomboid, aporose, non-ornamented, usually efibrillose, resorbed on distal portion of leaf with membrane pleats in proximal portion.

dimorphic, the spreading branches stronger than the pendent branches.

usually of two distinctly different types;

branch leaves that are normally inrolled and broadest ca. 1/4–1/3 the distance from the base, more or less tapered to a cucullate to involute apex;

stem leaves more or less flat and usually broadest at the base;

both leaf types of a network of hyaline, dead cells and green chlorophyllose cells;

pores and reinforcing fibrils frequent in branch leaf hyaline cells and uncommon in stem leaf hyaline cells.

broadly ovate, very concave, apex broadly truncate, smooth, and toothed;

margin entire;

hyaline cells non-ornamented, fibrillose;

with elliptic, ringed pores at ends and corners of cells, usually found in 3s at adjoining cell walls, pores more numerous on concave surface (5–8 per cell) than on convex surface (3–5 per cell); chlorophyllous cells in transverse section narrowly truncate-elliptic to lenticular, lacking wall sculptures, with thickened end walls equally exposed on both surfaces.

dioicous.

not seen.

not seen.

released by explosive opening of operculum.

fascicles with 2–3 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.;

branch stems green, surrounded by 1 layer of efibrillose, non-ornamented, inflated, thin-walled cells with inconspicuous necks.

thallose.

lacking.

consisting of a spherical capsule with pseudostomata on capsule surface, a very short seta, and a foot, exserted on a pseudopodium of gametophyte tissue.