Brachydontium

Fürnrohr

Flora 10(2,Beil.): 37. 1827 ,.

Etymology: Greek brachys, short, and odontion, small tooth, alluding to peristome teeth
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 327. Mentioned on page 320.

Plants of acidic rock, often volcanic, brownish. Alar cells not differentiated. Perigonial leaves broader and shorter than vegetative leaves. Perichaetial leaves similar to vegetative leaves. Sexual condition autoicous or rarely dioicous. Capsule striate; annulus compound; peristome teeth papillose or absent. Calyptra mitrate to sometimes sub-cucullate.

Distribution

North America, Central America (Honduras), South America (Brazil, Colombia), Europe, Asia, Australia.

Discussion

Species 9 (2 in the flora).

Brachydontium is a genus of tiny, brownish plants of acidic rocks with striate capsules and peristomes ranging from well developed to completely absent. The species in the flora are olive green to brownish, stems ca. 0.6–2 mm; leaves 0.5–2.5 mm, erect, in ± two apparent rows, lanceolate-subulate, obtuse, leaf margins nearly entire, costa filling the subula; and the columella is not developed. They grow sympatrically on Mt..

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Peristome absent; distal laminal cells mostly isodiametric. Brachydontium olympicum
1 Peristome of 16 short, truncate teeth; distal laminal cells predominantly short-rhombic. Brachydontium trichodes
... more about "Brachydontium"
Dale H. Vitt +  and John R. Spence +
Fürnrohr +
North America +, Central America (Honduras) +, South America (Brazil +, Colombia) +, Europe +, Asia +  and Australia. +
Greek brachys, short, and odontion, small tooth, alluding to peristome teeth +
Brachydontium +
Seligeriaceae +