Bryophytes (hornworts, liverworts and mosses) of the British Indian Ocean Territory

Plants small, pale-greenish, in low turfs and clumps. Stems short, forked; rhizoids reddish brown. Leaves dimorphic, curled-contorted when dry, straight when wet, vegetative leaves oblong-lanceolate, gemmiferous leaves acuminate distally with often spatulate tips, 2.5–4.0 mm long, axillary hairs inconspicuous; costa percurrent, often long-extended beyond broad laminae and with narrow wings of laminae in gemmiferous leaves; cells of upper laminae isodiametric, obscure, smooth to unipapillose abaxially, mammillose-papillose adaxially; margins mostly thickened, sometimes unistratose, entire except sometimes irregularly serrate at shoulders; teniolae lacking; cancellinae usually broadly to narrowly acute distally. Gemmae common, borne on adaxial surface of costa, often in distinct saucer-shaped gemma receptacles on tips of modified leaves. Sporophytes not seen. less ↑

Plants small, pale, compact, in low turfs. Stems short, forked; rhizoids brown. Leaves only somewhat dimorphic, 2–3 mm long, not much contorted when dry, usually secund, straight and erect-spreading when wet, vegetative leaves oblong, gemmiferous leaves oblong or acuminate, axillary hairs inconspicuous; costa excurrent in gemmiferous leaves; cells of upper laminae isodiametric, smooth to unipapillose abaxially, mammillose-papillose adaxially; margins unistratose or slightly thickened, entire throughout; teniolae lacking; cancellinae narrow, typically truncate distally. Gemmae common, in pale spherical clusters all around on tip of excurrent costa. Sporophytes not seen. less ↑

Plants small, 5–10 mm high, grayish green, somewhat glossy, in loose or dense tufts and cushions. Stems short, sparsely branched; central strand absent. Leaves erect-patent to curved spreading, 4–6 mm long, flattened, strap-shaped to ligulate from an oblong-ovate base, apiculate at the apex; hyaline lamina cells small, appearing only on two sides of costa at the leaf base; margins entire, with minute serration at the leaf apex; costa broad and thick, filling almost the entire upper lamina, convex on abaxial side in cross section, costal leucocysts 2–5 layers on adaxial side, 1–4 layers on abaxial side, supporting a nearly centrally positioned chlorocyst layer, chlorocysts in cross section triangular in the upper parts of leaves, quadrangular at the leaf base. Autoicous. Setae ca. 4 mm long, yellow, smooth; capsules erect, cylindrical; peristome teeth 8, yellowish, lanceolate with a broad base, vertically striate; opercula long rostrate, with an oblique beak. Calyptrae cucullate, smooth, entire at the base. Spores not seen. less ↑

Plants small to medium-sized, pale glossy, whitish green, very compact, in dense turfs. Stems elongate, much-forked, rhizoids bright-red, sometimes conspicuous. Leaves straight and appressed wet and dry, 1.5–1.8 mm long, involute, lance-acuminate, composed mostly of cancellinae, with only small areas of green cells distally on both sides of costa, axillary hairs inconspicuous; green cells of upper laminae isodiametric, smooth abaxially, bulging to unipapillose adaxially; margins bordered all around with elongate hyaline cells, entire, more or less revolute distally along the green cells; cancellinae acute distally. Gemmae infrequent, inconspicuous, adaxial on tip of costa. Sporophytes frequent. Setae 5–7 mm long; capsules short-cylindric to somewhat urceolate, sulcate with age, 0.8–1.0 mm long, with few stomata at base; opercula long rostrate; peristome of low, blunt, imperfect teeth, to 60 µm tall, teeth narrowly segmented, irregularly patterned-papillose inside and outside in distal segments. Calyptrae 1.8 mm long, papillose-roughened distally. Spores green, 19–24 µm in diameter, finely papillose. less ↑