Clades:
Thuidiales,
Bryidae,
Bryophyta,
Plants.
Region: nearly worldwide, primarily temperate regions
DiscussionGenera: 5 or 6, species 20 to 30.
BotanyMoss; small to large; light green to yellow-green.
Stems: creeping, irregularly pinnate; branches arcuate to erect, short-to-elongate, simple to many-branched, incurved or rigid when dry, in clusters of 1–5 on either side of vegetative growth interval; paraphyllia present or absent; pseudoparaphyllia subfoliose to filamentous, entire; axillary hairs 6–8 per axil, proximal cells 1 or 2, short, walls light-brown, distal cells 2–4, elongate, hyaline.
Leaves: spirally inserted; loosely appressed to imbricate when dry; erect-spreading to squarrose when moist; rapidly spreading when moistened, usually ovate, lanceolate; margins entire or serrate distally; apex obtuse, acute, or acuminate; costa single, ending before apex, or double, short; alar cells quadrate to transversely elongate; laminal cell-walls thick; medial cells isodiametric to linear, smooth.
Specialized asexual reproduction absent. Sexual condition autoicous or dioicous; perigonia lateral, gemmiform; perichaetia lateral, larger, inner leaves following fertilization, paraphyses elongating. Seta single.
Capsule: immersed to exserted, symmetric; stomata absent, or basal, sunken; annulus absent; operculum conic-rostrate; peristome usually double, pale; exostome teeth 16; endostome rudimentary or absent to well developed, cilia absent; calyptra cucullate, hairy or naked. Spores spheric, minutely papillose.
Genera: Alsia, Forsstroemia, Leptodon, Taiwanobryum.TaxonomyRecently described or relocated genera in the family include Caduciella, Cryptoleptodon and Taiwanobryum. Molecular evidence indicates that this small family may not be monophyletic, and is better viewed within the larger context of the family
Neckeraceae.
Keys1 Paraphyllia absent: Forsstroemia.
1 Paraphyllia present: > 2
2 Secondary stems densely 2-pinnate to flagelliform or irregularly pinnate; calyptrae hairy; endostome rudimentary; Colorad: Leptodon
2 Secondary stems pinnate and frondiform distally; calyptrae naked; endostome well developed; Pacific Northwest: Asia.
LiteratureS. Maeda et al. 2000.
M. S. Ignatov et al. 2006.