Orthotrichum transvaaliense Rehmann ex Sim

Plants small, loosely caespitose to caespitose, green or yellowish green above, brown-green or yellowish brown to brown below; corticolous. Stems 3-13 mm tall; in section subround, central strand absent or cell walls collapsed, inner cortex 6-10 cells across, thin-walled, outer cortical cells weakly differentiated, smaller, in 1 or 2 rows, firm-walled to incrassate, epidermis not differentiated. Leaves larger above, erect to appressed when dry, erect-spreading when wet, unistratose, concave; oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate or elliptic, (1.4-)1.7-2.8(-4.0) mm long; ventral surface keeled; apex acute or apiculate, 60-220 µm long, cells not or weakly differentiated, rounded, incrassate, occasionally channelled; margins recurved, plane above, frequently plane below, entire, occasionally denticulate at apex, unistratose. Costa ending below apex; superficial cells rounded above, rectangular to linear below; in section crescent-shaped, cells scarcely differentiated, thin-walled to incrassate. Upper laminal cells rounded-hexagonal, thin-walled to incrassate, weakly bulging to bulging, (15.0-)17.5-22.5(-27.5) µm, smooth or weakly papillose; basal cells smooth or walls papillose, rectangular to quadrate, thin-walled or occasionally incrassate. Gemmae fusiform, on lamina, up to 13 cells long, brownish or reddish brown, smooth. Autoicous. Perigonia gemmate, on short or numerous on long branches; inner leaves ovate. Perichaetia terminal; leaves scarcely differentiated, as long as stem leaves or inner leaves smaller. Seta short, 0.5-0.7 mm long, straight. Capsule emergent, ovate-cylindrical, 1.2-2.1 mm long, 8-ribbed, neck short; exothecial cells rectangular, thin-walled, weakly differentiated along ribs, rounded at mouth, incrassate; stomata cryptopore, on base of urn. Peristome double; exostome teeth loosely in 8 pairs, triangular, cleft almost entire length, perforated, 160-320 µm long, yellowish brown, recurved when dry, densely papillose; basal membrane absent, processes 8 or occasionally 16, linear, 1 cell wide, 130-260 µm long, yellowish or hyaline, smooth or weakly papillose. Operculum short conic-apiculate. Calyptra 1.6-2.3 mm long, smooth to scabrous above, lobed below, hairs uniseriate above, multiseriate below, denticulate. Spores 17-23 µm, papillose to granulate.