Plants moderate-sized, fairly stiff-stemmed; green, brownish green, pale yellow, golden yellow, yellow and brown; capitulum hemispherical and not 5-radiate to somewhat 5-radiate in shade-grown or wet-grown forms. Stems pale green to pale brown, superficial cortex of 2 layers of moderately differentiated cells. Stem leaves triangular to lingulate-triangular, 0.8-1.2 mm, mostly appressed to the stem, apex acute to apiculate, hyaline cells mostly efibrillose and nonseptate. Branches straight, mostly unranked, but can be 5-ranked in wet-growing forms, leaves little elongated at distal branch ends. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2-3 pendent branches. Branch stems green but proximal end sometimes red, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. Branch leaves ovate-lanceolate, greater than 1.2 mm, straight, undulate and sharply recurved when dry, margins entire; hyaline cells on convex surface with usually 1 round pore per cell at apical end, on concave side with round wall thinnings in the cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular and just reaching or slightly enclosed within the concave surface. Sexual condition dioicous. Spores 25-31 µm; proximal surface finely papillose, distal surface pusticulate with bifurcated Y-mark sculpture; proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
Home