Zoopsis nitida

Detailed description

Plants glossy, dark-green, creeping. Stems 13-15 mm long, broad and flat, plano-convex to biconvex, 0.34-0.55 mm wide at the widest point. ).06-0.07 mm high, sparingly branched, in two ways: terminal, Frullania-type branching,and unilateral, ventral-intercalary branching; intercalary branches short (1.5 mm long) and infrequent (1-2 per plant). Branches often attenuate at apex. Ventral-intercalary flagellae present, hyaline. Cells of the central strand in 9-12 rows. leaves caducous, present only near the growing tip of stem or branches where they are present as single cells, or rarely as 3-celled ephemeral vestiges. Under-leaves vestigial. Rhizoids arising from ventral median cells in fascicles from the bases of the under-leaves, hyaline 70 microns long, unicellular with a clavate apex. Cells of the dorsal surface 70-150 x 120-170 microns, 30-40 microns deep. Cells of the ventral surface 60-80 x 100-140 microns, 20-25 microns deep. Cells of the central strand on the ventral surface 100-110 x 40-50 microns, 12 microns deep. Oil bodies 4-35 per cell, 4 x 4 microns to 10 x 10 microns to 13 x 5 microns, spherical to spindle-shaped, botryoidal, pale greyish (the smallest spherical and almost smooth; the larger spherical to spindle-shaped and distinctly botryoidal). Dioicous. Perianths on short ventral branches, pyriform, 1.1-1.6 x 0.6 mm, divided at the apex into 6 teeth, each 0.5-0.7 mm long (about one-third of the perianth). Gynoecial bracts c.9 mm long, trilobed, with teeth of varying height, the largest 600 microns, the smallest 260 microns long. Seta c.6 mm long at maturity, 180-200 microns diameter, with 8 outer cell rows (cells 110-160 x 50 microns), c. 12 inner cell rows of small diameter. Capsule c.0.5 mm diameter with segments c.630 x 240 microns, with outer wall cells 13 x 4 microns with transverse thickenings. Spores c.15 microns diameter, spherical, finely reticulate-ridged. Elaters 150-290 microns long, spirally thickened.