Goniomitrium africanum (Müll.Hal.) Broth.

Plants small, scattered or gregarious, dark green; terricolous. Stems 1-2 mm high, simple, radiculose below; in section round, central strand weak, cells thin-walled, inner cortical cells in 2-4 rows, outer cortical cells in 2 rows, smaller, reddish brown. Leaves crowded and larger above, infolded and appressed dry, erect-spreading wet; broadly elliptical to obovate or subspathulate, 1.5-2.5 mm long; apex apiculate to cuspidate; base oblong; margins plane, entire. Costa short-excurrent; in section subround, lamina attached ventrally, guide cells 2, exposed ventrally, dorsal stereid band weak, 2 cells thick, occasionally substereids, dorsal surface cells generally strongly thickened, smaller than guide cells. Upper laminal cells hexagonal to rhomboidal or subrectangular, thin-walled; marginally quadrate to rectangular; basal cells quadrate. Paroicous. Perichaetial leaves slightly larger, not distinct. Seta variable in length, 0.5-2.0 mm long; capsule emergent to exserted, erect, stegocarpic, cupulate, with broad mouth, 1 mm long, irregularly sulcate when dry, reddish yellow; exothecial cells quadrate to rectangular or angular, thin-walled, with 1-2 rows of quadrate cells at mouth and 5-6 rows of transversely rectangular cells just below; stomata present at base of urn, phaneropore; peristome absent; operculum plano-convex, 0.7-0.8 mm in diameter, cells not twisted; calyptra mitrate, 1.5 mm long, smooth but 8-sided because of longitudinal plications; spores rounded, 50-75 µm, yellowish, granulate with a weak reticulate pattern.