Hampeella pallens

Detailed description

Plants corticolous, slender, tufted, green, glossy. Primary stems very short. Secondary stems to 20 mm tall, closely tufted, densely radiculose at the base, mostly simple, flattened and almost distichously foliate. leaves to 2 mm long, somewhat rugose, decurrent; dorsal and ventral leaves distinctly nearly erect and appressed and almost symmetrical; lateral leaves distinctly asymmetrical,ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, with the margin incurved on one side at the base; distantly and sharply denticulate in the upper half. Leaves at the base and apex of the stem symmetrical and much smaller. Nerve very thin-walled, linear-rhomboid, smaller at the apex and widened at the base; occasionally coloured and incrassate at the angles. Long brood-filaments produced from axials of the upper leaves. Perichaetia large, sheathing. Seta 6-9 mm long, lateral on secondary stems, slightly curved, reddish or yellow. Capsule 2.0-2.5 mm long, usually suberect, oblong or nearly cylindrical, sharply 8-ribbed; exothecial cells collenchymatous; annulus not differentiated. Operculum conico-rostrate, with a long oblique beak. Peristome double, inserted on the rim; outer teeth not conjoined at the base, lanceolate, quickly narrowed above, hyaline-margined, transparent on the median line so as to appear to be divided, striolate and red-brown below, hyaline and papillose above; ventral lamellae projecting internally and laterally; basal membrane of endostome yellow, almost smooth processes nearly half the height of the teeth, entire. Cilia lacking. Spores 14-32 µm, irregular in size and shape, brown. Autoicous; male inflorescence, lateral, gemmiform.