Genera

Syntrichia

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Identification Key:

         
1 Costa in upper third of the leaf without dorsal stereids; hair-point orange to reddish or red-brown 2
1 Costa in upper third of the leaf with dorsal stereids; hair-point hyaline, sometimes brown at base 3
2 Leaf margins plane, sometimes slightly recurved near the middle; leaf apex tapered to a hair-point or to a short apiculus, occasionally sharply toothed at base; basal membrane of peristome formed of 1-2(4) rows of cells, 50-95 µm high S. bogotensis
2 Leaf margins recurved from base to middle or upper third, rarely plane; leaf apex tapered to a hair-point, not toothed at base; basal membrane of peristome formed of 8-10(12) rows of cells, 250-350 µm high S. norvegica
3 Leaves fragile, usually broken, with mucro; peristome basal membrane formed of 5-10 rows of cells, 100-300 µm high S. fragilis
3 Leaves firm, not broken, with hair-point; peristome basal membrane formed of 10-42 rows of cells, 250-1400 µm high 4
4 Costa without hydroids; leaves not constricted in the middle 5
4 Costa with hydroids; leaves constricted in the middle (sometimes S. princeps weakly or not constricted) 7
5 Leaf margins recurved from base to upper third, rarely to the middle; middle laminal cells 12.5-15(17.5) x 12.5-15(17.5) µm; juxtacostal basal cells forming a clearly differentiated hyaline area up to 19-25(33)% of leaf length S. calcicola
5 Leaf margins recurved from base to the apex, sometimes near the apex; middle laminal cells (5)7.5-10(15) x 5-10(12.5) µm; juxtacostal basal cells forming a clearly differentiated hyaline area up to 27-45% of leaf length 6
6 Leaf apex not hyaline, generally rounded, not tapering into hair-point S. ruralis var. ruralis
6 Leaf apex usually hyaline and acuminate, tapering into hair-point S. ruralis var. ruraliformis
7 Hair-point smooth, sometimes weakly spinulose; margins bordered or not, when bordered formed by 2-5 columns of thicker walls and less papillose cells, sometimes smooth, brown or yellowish; sometimes with brood leaves on the stem apex or at the base of upper leaves, often forming a rosette in the upper leaves; dioicous or autoicous S. laevipila
7 Hair-point spinose to strongly spinose; margins unbordered; without vegetative diaspores; dioicous or synoicous S. princeps