Genera

Syntrichia

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Identification Key:

         
1 Plant with dimorphic leaves, one is ovate-lanceolate, usually mucronate, constricted at midleaf, usually without deciduous apex, and the other is long lanceolate, subulate, with a deciduous leaf apex and recurved margins near the base S. angustifolia
1 Plant without this combination of characters 2
2 Leaves with the costa excurrent as a hair-point or apiculus, 130-2500 µm long 3
2 Leaves with the costa percurrent, finishing few cell below the apex or excurrent as a mucro, (7.5)15-60(115) µm long 16
3 Stereids of the costa that disappear above or ending somewhat below the apex but continuing again in the hair-point 4
3 Stereids of the costa that not disappear above or ending somewhat below the apex 5
4 Leaves with plane to weakly reflexed near the base margins S. bogotensis
4 Leaves with strongly recurved up to the upper third margins S. andicola
5 Propagule present (brood leaf, costal gemmae) 6
5 Propagule absent 7
6 Propagule like brood leaf; lamina cells with papillae on dorsal and ventral surface, bifurcate papillae; dorsal surface of the costa smooth S. laevipila
6 Propagule like costal gemmae; lamina cells with papillae only on dorsal surface, simple papillae; dorsal surface of the costa strongly papillose S. papillosa
7 Leaves with bordered margins 8
7 Leaves with not bordered margins 10
8 Leaves with the dorsal surface of the costa strongly papillose at base, margins recurved up to the upper third S. glacialis
8 Leaves with the dorsal surface of the costa smooth at base, margins plane to recurved up to the middle 9
9 Leaves constricted with plane or weakly recurved at base margins; hair-point or apiculus hyaline; cross section of the costa with hydroids; basal membrane of the peristome of 8-15 rows of cells S. laevipila
9 Leaves not constricted with recurved margins up to the middle; hair-point or apiculus brownish; cross section of the costa usually without hydroids; basal membrane of the peristome of 3-4(6) rows of cells S. polylepidis
10 Upper and middle lamina cells (5)7.5-10(15) x (5)7.5-10(12.5) µm 11
10 Upper and middle lamina cells (12.5)15-17.5(25) x 12.5-17.5(25) µm 13
11 Leaves with the costa excurrent as a spinose hair-point (400-1800 µm long), ovate-lanceolate or ovate-lingulate S. ruralis
11 Leaves with the costa excurrent as a smooth or spinulose apiculus (150-300 µm long), lingulate or lingulate-lanceolate 12
12 Leaves with the dorsal surface of the costa smooth at base, constricted at the middle; cross section of the costa usually with hydroids S. buchtienii
12 Leaves with the dorsal surface of the costa strongly papillose at base, not constricted at the middle; cross section of the costa usually without hydroids S. glacialis
13 Leaves with the costa excurrent as a smooth hair-point, margins plane or weakly recurved at base, constricted at the middle S. laevipila
13 Leaves with the costa excurrent as a spinose hair-point, rarely spinulose, margins recurved up to upper third, not constricted at the middle 14
14 Plants very branched; dorsal surface of the costa smooth or weakly papillose at the upper third; basal membrane of the peristome of 5-7 rows of cells S. ramosissima
14 Plants normally branched; dorsal surface of the costa clearly papillose; basal membrane of the peristome of 15-18 rows of cells 15
15 Leaves with the costa excurrent as a long hair-point compared to leaf length (ratio leaf length/hair-point length 1-2); apex usually emarginate; cross section of the costa usually without hydroids; autoicous or dioicous S. obtusissima
15 Leaves with the costa excurrent as an hair-point not long compared to leaf length (ratio leaf length/hair-point length 2.5-4); apex usually not emarginate; cross section of the costa usually with hydroids; sinoicous or dioicous S. princeps
16 Propagule present (brood leaves, lamminar gemmae, deciduous leaf apex) 17
16 Propagule absent 20
17 Plant with brood leaves 18
17 Plant with another different type of propagule 19
18 Leaf with unistratose lamina; dorsal surface of the costa weakly papillose; mid lamina cells of 12.5-20 µm wide S. ammonsiana
18 Leaf with bistratose lamina; dorsal surface of the costa strongly papillose, with simple papillae up to 12.5 µm high; mid lamina cells 5-10 µm wide S. chisosa
19 Leaf with laminar gemmae, cylindric and smooth, usually on the ventral surface, leaves not narrowed at the apex, margins incurved, usually bordered, mid lamina cells 12.5-15(20) µm wide S. amphidiacea
19 Leaf with deciduous leaf apex, fusiform and papillose, leaves abruptly narrowed at the apex, margins plane, not bordered, mid lamina cells (5)7.5-10(12.5) µm wide S. lithophila
20 Leaf with the basal hyaline cells forming a horn-shaped group on each side of the costa, upper third of the leaf dentate S. robusta
20 Leaf with the basal hyaline cells forming an inverted U-shaped group on each side of the costa, upper third of the leaf entire 21
21 Leaves not fragile, unbroken 22
21 Leaves fragile, broken 25
22 Leaves with lamina unistratose S. scabrinervis
22 Leaves with lamina tristatose to bistratose throughout or in patchs 23
23 Dorsal surface cells of the costa at upper third are stereids; costa excurrent as a mucro, dorsal surface strongly papillose, with simple papillae up to 12.5 µm high; leaf margins not bordered S. chisosa
23 Dorsal surface cells of the costa at upper third like these of the lamina; costa finishing few cells below the apex, dorsal surface usually smooth; leaf margins bordered 24
24 Leaf with acute and keeled apex, not constricted at the middle, 3-7.5 x 4.5-8 µm; peristome membrane hardly projects over the urn S. boliviana
24 Leaf with rounded to obtuse and cucullate apex, weakly constricted at the middle, 7.5-12.5-(5)7.5 x 10-12.5 µm; peristome membrane projects over the urn like a tube S. percarnosa
25 Leaf with bordered margins 26
25 Leaf with not bordered margins 27
26 Leaf with reflexed apex when moist, constricted at the middle, lamina unistratose; dorsal surface of the costa strongly papillose near the apex, simple papillae, 2.5-10 µm high S. serripungens
26 Leaf with straight apex when moist, not constricted at the middle, lamina usually bistratose in patch; dorsal surface of the costa weakly papillose or smooth near the apex, simple papillae, 2.5 µm high S. napoana
27 Leaf with reflexed apex when moist, constricted at the middle S. serripungens
27 Leaf with straight apex when moist, not constricted at the middle 28
28 Leaf with lacerate lamina, youngest leaves usually with deep lacerate splits S. lacerifolia
28 Leaf without lacerate lamina, youngest leaves usually unbroken S. fragilis