Ectropothecium sandwichense

Detailed description

Autoicous. Saxicolous or corticolous, forming thin, pale green, glossy mats. Stems up to 40 mm long, prostrate, radiculose on the under side and closely attaching to substratum, branching irregular, more or less pinnate, short, complanate. Leaves laxly imbricating, widely spreading, complanate with falcate points, arising from a broad insertion, lamina narrowly ovate-lanceolate, apices finely acuminate, concave; margin erect, subentire toward base, serrulate above; nerve absent; leaf cells linear, dense, thin-walled, smooth or minutely papillose on the back by projecting ends, 3 or 4 microns wide and 15-20x as long, slightly wider and shorter in the point and toward the base, with a single row of enlarged, pellucid, oval cells across the insertion and 1-3 still larger, hyaline, very fragile cells at the extreme basal angles. Inner perichaetial leaves c.2.0-2.5 mm long, erect, from an oblong, laxly areolate base quickly narrowed to along slender flat serrulate apex. Seta of variable length mostly 16-20 mm long, reddish below, pale above; capsules pendulous or abruptly hooked, short oval or oblong, constricted under the mouth and more or less asymmetrical when dry; lid broadly convex, apiculate; calyptra usually sparsely hairy when young.