Plants glossy. Stems prostrate or suberect, branches short, ascending. Leaves erect, sometimes flexuose-twisted and contorted when dry, flexuose when moist, ovate-lanceolate, ligulate- to lance-acuminate, symmetric, straight, keeled; margins entire, strongly bordered, cells linear, incrassate, in several rows; costa ending before apex in distal 1/4; laminal cells usually uniformly rhomboidal to elongate-hexagonal, walls usually incrassate; basal cells sometimes rounded, longer, smooth. Sexual condition autoicous or synoicous. Seta roughened distally [smooth]. Capsule erect to subinclined; exothecial cells strongly collenchymatous; exostome teeth hygrocastique (teeth incurved when dry and reflexed when moist), densely papillose, with zigzag longitudinal lines, not striate, not furrowed; endostome segments linear, narrow, same length as teeth, perforate along keel. Calyptra smooth to somewhat roughened distally, basal fringe hairs dense. Spores papillose.

Distribution

nw North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Atlantic Islands, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

Species ca. 22 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

Majestyk, P. 2011. A taxonomic treatment of Daltonia (Musci: Daltoniaceae) in the Americas. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 5: 553–575.

Lower Taxa

Daltonia splachnoides