Flora of North America species comparison

5–20 mm.

central strand usually present, sclerodermis and hyalodermis commonly absent.

usually in distinct whorls, infolded, somewhat contorted, and weakly to strongly twisted around the stem when dry, wide-spreading to slightly recurved when moist, concave, spatulate, 2–4 × 1–1.5 mm;

margins revolute in the proximal 1/2–3/4, entire;

apices acute or sometimes truncate;

costa excurrent into a long, serrate, hyaline awn (reddish at base), often strongly papillose abaxially and serrulate near the apex because of projecting cell ends, red;

basal cells abruptly differentiated, long-rectangular, 45–80 × 20–30 µm, short-rectangular to quadrate at the margins;

distal cells quadrate to hexagonal, 12–17 µm, slightly bulging, bearing 4–6 papillae per cell.

usually ovate or broadly ligulate to spathulate, apex usually rounded or broadly acute, margins recurved basally, distal laminal cells if 2-stratose stacked directly over one another, walls smooth or papillose, KOH yellow or red, occasionally orange, occasionally yellow distally and red basally;

costa with or without a differentiated abaxial epidermis;

gemmae largely absent.

red, 10–18 mm.

synoicous (apparently rarely dioicous).

brownish red, 3–4 mm, slightly curved, with a distinct neck;

operculum 1.5–2 mm, brown;

peristome ca. 1.5 mm, the distal divisions twisted about 2 turns, red, the basal membrane white, 1/2–2/3 the total length.

9–13 µm, papillose.

asexual reproduction absent.