Paroicous, blackish redbrown. Stem to 10 mm long, to 160 µ in diameter, sparsely branched, frequently with young microphyllous shoots. Rhizoids colourless, sparse. Cortical cells of the stem 14-20 x 14-24 µ, thin walled. Leaves rather distant, ± squarrose, large, broadly ovate, widest in the basal portion, bilobed to 1/4, sinus acute, lobus subacute, base embracing the stem to 1/2 and abruptly narrowed-cordate. Marginal cells 14 x 14-20 µ, cells in the centre of the leaf about 20 µ, walls thin, trigones large, nodose. Fe-male organs apical, archegonia surrounded by a pair of small leaves, outer perichaetial leaves larger. Below the female organ large male bracts, bilobed to 1/5-1/6, sinus frequently gibbose, each with one antheridium (oval, 80-100 µ) in the axil. The S. African plant is described as var. africana, S. Arnell. It differs from the main species in following points: Lobes of the leaves shorter and broader, trigones generally larger, sinus of the bracts usually gibbose.
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