Autoicous. Growing on soil, usually in thin, intricate carpets, pale green-dark purple. Stem up to 10 mm long and 70-90 µ in diameter, yellowish-brown, sparsely branched. Cortical cells 10 x 20-24(-36) µ, irregularly rectangular, walls of medium thickness. Cross section shows cortical cells with thickened walls, internal cells of the same diameter (16-18 µ) but with thin walls. Leaves approximate-distant, on sterile branches more distant, bilobed to 1/2-2/3, obtusely conduplicate, on the dorsal surface frequently papillose of spinose by protruding cells, base diverges 60-90° from the stem, lobes parallel to-diverging 200 from (the stem, triangular and acute, dentate, frequently decolorized at the apex. Sinus on flattened leaves about 150°, often with margin deflexed. Marginal cells 10-12 µ, in the centre of the leaf up to 16 µ. Cell walls of medium thickness. Oil bodies 1-7(-9 in bracts) per cell, 2 x 2-2 x 8 µ, colourless, marginal cells without oil bodies. Cuticle slightly papillose-smooth. Rhizoids abundant, colourless. Amphigastria rather large, entire-bifid. Female bracts larger than the leaves, in 2-3 pairs, conduplicate and strongly dentate at the margin, connate to 1/2.Perianth obovate, rather broad and short, mouth dentate by 30-40 µ long cells, when young purple, when older usually decolorized at the margin. Spores 10 µ, redbrown. Elaters 8 x 130-150 µ.
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