Dioicous, dark green, when dried almost black. Stem to 3 cm long, dark brown, with microphyllous flagella in the lower portion, simple or occasion-ally furcate, erect-suberect, apex frequently decurved, rhizoids colourless, most abundant in the lower part. Leaves distant, slightly concave, entire except the two (or occasionally 3) teeth at the corners of the truncate apex, dorsal margin decurrent and inflated. Marginal cells subquadrate, 20-26 µ with large trigones, interior cells rounded quadrate-hexagonal, trigones rather large, reddish brown as the walls. Oil bodies up to 12 per cell, ovate, 5 x 8 µ, yellowish, homogenous-finely granular. Cuticle smooth. Amphigastria absent or small. Female organ on short postical branch from near the apex of the shoot. Bracts shorter than the leaves, subrotund, apex bilobed, lobes subacute. Perianth longly excel led, ovate-pyriform, obtusely trigonous in the apical portion, mouth trilobed, ciliate. Calyptra fleshy, slightly shorter than the perianth, Androecia on very short, postical branches, generally from the lower portion of the stein, bracts in 3-5 pairs, hyaline, with very thin walls, very concave, apex shortly emarginate, sinus small and acute, antheridia usually single.
Home