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| The moss families (Bryophyta, Musci) of Britain and Ireland |
~Dicranaceae, and cf. Ditrichaceae. Excluding Amphidiaceae
Gametophyte. Acrocarpous (usually); forming tufts (mostly), or cushion-forming, or forming patches. Mature plants when erect or ascending, 5–150 mm high. Shoots not complanate. Stems not tomentose; with a differentiated central strand. The leaves neither sphagnoid nor leucobryoid. The leaves ovate, or lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate (commonly), or linear to subulate, or lingulate; not distichous; spiral; secund (occasionally, e.g. sometimes in Dicranoweisia crispula), or not secund; crisped when dry (very commonly), or not crisped when dry (e.g., Dichodontium). Leaf bases sheathing, or not sheathing. The leaves single-nerved. The leaf nerves extending beyond the middle of the leaf, but not to the tip, or extending to the leaf tip; excurrent (sometimes, in Oncophorus), or not excurrent; incorporating stereids. Leaf blades not lamellate. Leaf blade apices not hyaline. Leaf blade margins flat, or revolute or recurved; unistratose, or bi-stratose; entire to dentate. Leaf blades not conspicuously bordered. The basal leaf cells more or less isodiametric to longitudinally much elongated; rectangular to linear; smooth. The angular cells clearly differentiated (Dicranoweisia, Oncophorus), or not well differentiated. The mid-leaf cells more or less isodiametric to longitudinally much elongated; quadrate to rhomboidal; papillose (or mamillose, in Rhabdoweisia), or smooth.
Plants monoecious (mostly), or dioecious (in Dichodontium); when monoecious, autoecious.
Sporophyte. Capsules exserted; erect, or inclined; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; elongate; straight, or curved; sub-cylindric to ovoid, or pyriform, or gibbous; with an externally conspicuous apophysis, or without an externally conspicuous apophysis (mostly); smooth (e.g., in Dichodontium), or striate and becoming regularly furrowed when dry and empty; with an annulus, or without an annulus. Calyptra splitting down one side. Capsules dehiscing via a lid; with a peristome. The peristome when present, i.e. usually, single. The peristome teeth 16; not grouped; deeply cleft, or not deeply cleft (e.g., Rhabdoweisia); not perforated, or perforated; thin, membranous, and transversely barred (and transversely articulated); interiorly exhibiting a fine longitudinal dividing line between the transverse bars; smooth, with oblique striations that alternate with each articulation. The operculum conical to subulate. Setae usually long; curved, or straight.
Ecology. In wet places, mesophytic, and xerophytic; occurring in basic habitats (?), or neutral pH conditions, or acid conditions (with most Cynodontium spp. favouring non-basic habitats). In diverse habitats.
Cytology. Haploid chromosome number, n = 7, 12, 13, 14, and 15 (sometimes with a supernumerary).
Representation in Britain and Ireland. 14 species. Cynodontium (Dog-tooth Mosses), Dichodontium (Fork- and Forklet Mosses), Dicranoweisia (Pincushions), Oncophorus (Spur-mosses), Oreoweisia (Brunton’s Dog-tooth), Rhabdoweisia (Streak-mosses). Northern Scotland, southern Scotland, northern England, English Midlands, East Anglia, Wales, southeast England, central southern England, southwest England, Isle of Wight, and Ireland.
Classification. Class Bryopsida; Subclass Dicranideae; Order Dicranales.
Illustrations. • Cynodontium, Oreoweisia and Rhabdoweisia (with Ditrichaceae and Seligeriaceae): Dixon. RHABDOWEISIACEAE: I, Rhabdoweisia fujax (Hedw.) Br. Eur.; J, Rhabdoweisia crispata (With.) Lindb.; K, Rhabdoweisia crenulata (Mitt.) Jameson; L, Oreoweisia bruntonii (Sm.) Milde; M, Cynodontium poycarpon (Hedw.) Schimp.; N, Cynodontium strumiferum (Hedw.) De Not. SELIGERIACEAE: A, Seligeria trifaria (Brid.) Lindb.; B, Seligeria calycina Mitt. ex Lindb.; C, Seligeria calcarea (Hedw.) Br. Eur.; D, Seligeria recurvata (Hedw.) Br. Eur.; E, Brachydontium trichodes (Web.) Milde. DITRICHACEAE: F, Saelania glaucescens (Hedw.) Broth.; G, Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid. ssp. purpureus; H, Ceratodon purpureus ssp. conicus (Hampe) Dix.
From Dixon and Jameson (1924), the unscaled screen display approximately doubling the magnifications given with their individual figures. 1, leaf or stem leaf where these differ; 2, branch-leaf; 3, perichaetial leaf; 4, perigonial leaf; 5, capsule; 6, peristome; 7, calyptra; 8, spores; 9, inflorescence; 10, gemmae; 11, paraphyllia; 12, stoma of capsule; *, plant, or part of one. Qualifications: a, apex; b, base; c, cells at one third from the apex; cv, ventral aspect of cells; cd, dorsal aspect of cells; bc, basal cells; x, section. • Cynodontium, Dichodontium and Onchophorus (with Dicranella and Trematodon): Dixon. RHABDOWEISIACEAE: A, Cynodontium jenneri (Pöch) Limpr. B, C. gracilascens (Web. & Mohr.) Schimp. (probably a spurious record for Britain and/or Ireland). C, Onchophorus virens (Hedw.) Brid. D, Onchophorus wahlenbergii Brid. E, Dichodontium pellucidum (Hedw.) Schimp. F, Dichodontium flavescens (With.) Lindb. DICRANACEAE: H, Dicranella heteromalla (Hedw.) Schimp. I, D. cerviculata (Hedw.) Schimp. J, D. crispa (Hedw.) Schimp. K, D. subulata (Hedw.) Schimp. BRUCHIACEAE: G, Trematodon ambiguus (Hedw.) Hornsch.
From Dixon and Jameson (1924), the unscaled screen display approximately doubling the magnifications given with their individual figures. 1, leaf or stem leaf where these differ; 2, branch-leaf; 3, perichaetial leaf; 4, perigonial leaf; 5, capsule; 6, peristome; 7, calyptra; 8, spores; 9, inflorescence; 10, gemmae; 11, paraphyllia; 12, stoma of capsule; *, plant, or part of one. Qualifications: a, apex; b, base; c, cells at one third from the apex; cv, ventral aspect of cells; cd, dorsal aspect of cells; bc, basal cells; x, section. • Dichodontium and Dicranoweisiam, with Dicranaceae and Blindia: Dixon. RHABDOWEISIACEAE: F, Dichodontium palustris (Dicks.) M. Stech. I, Dicronoweisia cirrata (Hedw.) Lindb. ex Milde; J, Dicranoweisia crispula (Hedw.) Milde. DICRANACEAE: A, Dicranella subulata (Hedw.) Schimp.; B, Dicranella rufescens (With.) Schimp.; C, Dicranella varia (Hedw.) Schimp.; D, Dicranella grevilleana (Brid.) Schimp.; E, Dicranella schreberana (Hedw.) Dix. K, Campylopus subulatus Schimp.; L, Campylopus schimperi Milde. SELIGERIACEAE: G, Blindia caespiticium (Web. & Mohr) C. Müll.; H, Blindia acuta (Hedw.) Br. Eur.
From Dixon and Jameson (1924), the unscaled screen display approximately doubling the magnifications given with their individual figures. 1, leaf or stem leaf where these differ; 2, branch-leaf; 3, perichaetial leaf; 4, perigonial leaf; 5, capsule; 6, peristome; 7, calyptra; 8, spores; 9, inflorescence; 10, gemmae; 11, paraphyllia; 12, stoma of capsule; *, plant, or part of one. Qualifications: a, apex; b, base; c, cells at one third from the apex; cv, ventral aspect of cells; cd, dorsal aspect of cells; bc, basal cells; x, section. • Oreoweisia (with assorted dicranoid taxa): Berkeley. RHABDOWEISIACEAE: 9, Oreoweisia bruntonii (Sm.) Milde; a, habit; b, leaf; c, capsule; d, part of peristome. LEUCOBRYACEAE: 6, Leucobryum glaucum (Hedw.) Ångstr.; a, habit; b, leaf; c, leaf tip; d, capsule; e, part of peristome. DITRICHACEAE: 5, Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid.; a, habit; b, leaf, c, capsule; d, part of peristome; e, detail of peristome tooth tip. DICRANACEAE: 4, Campylopus flexuosus (Hedw.) Brid.; a, habit; b, leaf; c, calyptra; d, capsule. 7, Dicranum scoparium Hedw.; a, habit; b, leaf; c, part of peristome. 8, Dicranella heteromalla (Hedw.) Schimp.; a, habit; b, leaf; c, capsule; d, part of peristome. 10, Arctoa fulvella (Dicks.) R. Br.; a, habit; b, leaf; c, capsule; d, part of peristome.
From Berkeley (1863, Plate 23). The approximate 1 cm scale applies to the whole plant (habit) illustrations only. • Rhabdoweisia crispata (with assorted other taxa): Berkeley. RHABDOWEISIACEAE: 5, Rhabdoweisia crispata (With.) Lindb.; a, habit; b, leaf; c, capsule; d, part of peristome. SELIGERIACEAE: 1, Blindia acuta (Hedw.) Br. Eur.; a, habit; b, leaf; c, detail of leaf tip; d, capsule; e, capsule without lid; f, part of peristome. 2, Seligeria calcarea (Hedw.) Br. Eur.; a, habit; b, plant enlarged; c, leaf (an unusually broad example); d, capsule; e, part of peristome. 3, Brachydontium trichodes (Web.) Milde; a, habit; b, plant more enlarged; c, leaf; d, calyptra; e, capsule; f, lid of capsule; f, part of peristome and the ring outside it, viewed from within. POTTIACEAE: 6, Weissia controversa Hedw.; a, habit; b, leaf; c, capsule; d, part of peristome. 7, Weissia squarrosa (N. & H.) C. Müll.; a, habit; b, plant more enlarged; c, leaf; d, capsule; e, mouth of capsule.
From Berkeley (1863, Plate 24). The approximate 1 cm scale applies to the whole plant (habit) illustrations only.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2005 onwards. The moss families (Bryophyta, Musci) of Britain and Ireland. Version: 5th August 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
