Plants in erect, loose to dense tufts, green, yellowish or brownish, shiny or dull. Stems 1–2(–6) cm, erect-spreading, simple branches, sparsely radiculose near apex. Leaves lanceolate, gradually subulate, erect-spreading, sometimes falcate-secund; margins erect, entire, to serrulate near the tips; costa mostly excurrent, narrow, stereids poorly differentiated from median guide cells; distal laminal cells linear to subquadrate, smooth or slightly mammillose; basal laminal cells elongate, smooth, sometimes porose, alar cells usually brown and well differentiated. Sexual condition cladautoicous or gonioautoicous. Pericheatial leaves with a sheathing base. Seta solitary, 7–16 mm, erect, yellow turning red with age. Capsule suberect, curved, cylindric, smooth to furrowed when dry, indistinctly strumose; operculum obliquely rostrate; peristome single, of 16, teeth, divided halfway into two segments, papillose to vertically striolate or pitted striolate, red-brown. Calyptrae cucullate, occasionally rough at apex. Spores spheric, 14–24 µm, finely roughened, yellow to greenish yellow.

Distribution

North America, South America, Europe, Asia.

Discussion

Species ca. 6 (4 in the flora).

A northern and alpine genus, Kiaeria occurs on siliceous rock or soil and is recognized by its medium-sized, Dicranum-like habit, with poorly differentiated stereid and guide cells. It may be confused with several other tufted acrocarps of similar size, such as Dicranoweisia, which has crisped, contorted leaves when dry; Oncophorus, which has distinctly strumose capsules and occurs on wood or humus; or Dicranella, which differs in its obliquely grooved capsules, and narrow hairlike leaves. The species in Kiaeria are difficult to distinguish, but some characters are useful for tentative field identification, including presence of grooves on capsule, leaf luster, growth form, and habitat.

Selected References

Franklova, H. 2001. Distribution of the species of Kiaeria. Cas. Nár. Muz. Rada Prír. 170: 75–79.

Lower Taxa

Kiaeria blyttii, Kiaeria falcata, Kiaeria glacialis, Kiaeria starkei

Key

1	Distal laminal cells elongate; capsule ribbed or grooved when dry	> 2
1	Distal laminal cells short, rectangular or quadrate; capsule smooth when dry	> 3
2	Distal laminal cells not porose, basal laminal cells occasionally porose.	Kiaeria starkei
2	Distal and basal laminal cells porose.	Kiaeria glacialis
3	Plants in loose tufts; leaves erect-spreading, flexuose.	Kiaeria blyttii
3	Plants in dense tufts; leaves falcate-secund.	Kiaeria falcata