Blindia seppeltii

Detailed description

Autoicous moss up to 60 mm long, glossy, yellow-brown to olive-green when terrestrial, dark-brown to black when aquatic, forming mats or cushions. Stems with thick-walled outer stem cells, central strand present. Leaves erect-flexuose to falcate-secund, similar to spreading-erect when moist, lamina 5.0-8.0 mm long from an oblong-lanceolate base, more or less gradually narrowed to a long slender subula, acute, subula at least 2-3x as long as lamina; margins entire; nerve 40-100 microns wide, well defined, filling the subula. Upper cells 25-100 x 6-10 microns, rectangular-elongate, thick-walled, clear and distinct. Lower cells 35-120 x 6-10 microns, rectangular-elongate, thick-walled, clear and distinct. Alar cells 20-40 x 10-18 microns, not or poorly differentiated, rectangular-oblong, mostly hyaline, thin-walled, basal cells decurrent. Perichaetial leaves broader near base and quickly narrowed to subula. Seta 5,0-13.0 mm long, variable in length, very stout, thick, usually rigid, flexuose to erect when moist and dry, brown to black. Capsules 1.0 x 1.0 mm, small hemispheric-obovate when moist, when old turbinate to obconic, rarely hemispheric, black, variably exserted, Exothecial cells 20-50 x 10-25 microns, elliptic to narrowly rectangular, most longer than wide, thick-walled, pachydermous, rim cells quadrate-rounded, not oblate. Stomates not seen. Peristome of 16, lanceolate,a cute teeth, well-developed, fragile and often missing on old capsules. Operculum conic rostrate, beak more or less oblique. Spores 16-40 microns.