Autoicous. In thin patches on moist soil, redbrown-green. Stem to 4 µ long, sparingly branched below, otherwise not branched, dilute green, creeping or, when growing in dense tufts, ascending. Rhizoids numerous to near the apes, colourless. Leaves imbricate, obliquely inserted (about 45°), some-what increasing in size towards the end, not decurrent, about as long as broad, to 1/3-1/2 bilobed, sinus right-angled, rounded, lobes broad, obtuse, margin ± crenulate-dentate by single bulging cells. Cells in the margin10 x 16-12 x 14 µ, towards the basis larger, 12-22 x 18-24 µ, thin-walled, trigones lacking, brown-coloured in the apex of the shoots or in the apex of the lobes, cuticula smooth. Oil bodies small, colourless, globose, 0-6per cell, sometimes as large as 8 µ and then slightly yellow. Amphigastriae fugitive, frequently hyaline, mostly bilobed to 1/4-1/2, concave, slightly patent. Cortical cells of the stem thin-walled, 12-14 x 30-50 µ, in cross section 12-14 µ, isodiametrical or slightly smaller in the centre of thick stems. Female bracts 1-2, closely imbricate, spinous-dentate, connate, forming a multilobed (6-8) wrinkled crown around the perianth. The leaves nearest to the bracts larger, bilobed, irregularly dentate. Perianth ovate, with 5 blunt folds, one on the dorsal side, two on the ventral side, mouth crenulate by somewhat elongate cells, 6-8 x 10-22 µ. Capsule ovate, brown. Sporogone stalk with 4 small cells in the centre and 8 larger peripheral cells, containing chloroplasts. Spores 8-10 µ, muriculate, when young smooth, brown. Elaters redbrown, 4 x 120 µ. Andreciae on special shoots. Male bracts of about the same appearance as the common leaves, slightly concave. Antheridiae single, ellipsoid, with a short stalk, built of two cell-rows. Gemmae redbrown, 1-2 celled, at the apex of the leaves, slightly angular, about 12 µ, filled with 2-3 large oil bodies, very numerous oil barren plants.
Home