Breutelia occurs from mid to high elevations in often open habitats, on soil, humus, logs, and occasionally epiphytic or on rocks. The genus likely contains less than 100 species, primarily from the Southern Hemisphere; 30 or more species in the Neotropics. Breutelia is characterized by the robust habit, strongly plicate leaves, alar cells usually differentiated and short rectangular to quadrate, and subfloral whorls of branches. Dana Griffin has published important studies of this genus (1984a. 1984b, 1988); equally important are the floristic treatments published for Mexico and Central America. Keys are adapted, in part, from Griffin (1988). Alar cells are an important feature to distinguish many of the Breutelia species; care should be used when removing leaves so that the alar cells can be scrutinized.
Breutelia probablemente contiene menos de 100 especies, distribuidas principalmente en el hemisferio sur. Aproximadamente 30-35 especies presentes en el Neotrópico. Generalmente la mayoría de las especies crecen en sitios abiertos, sobre suelo, humus, troncos en descomposición y ocasionalmente son epífitas o crecen sobre rocas. Breutelia se caracteriza por su hábito robusto, hojas marcadamente plegadas, células alares generalmente diferenciadas, corto-rectangulares hasta cuadradas y ramas subflorales en espiral. Las células alares son una característica importante para distinguir muchas especies de Breutelia; se debe tener cuidado al remover las hojas para que las células alares puedan ser examinadas.
Status Unknown:
Breutelia anacolioides Herzog, Biblioth. Bot. 87: 97. 1916. Type: Bolivia. In den Estradillas über Incacorral an Felsen, ca. 3200 m, Herzog 3311.
Breutelia anomala R.S. Williams, Bryologist 31: 112. 15. 1928. Syntypes: Peru. Department Cuzco, Province La Convencion, upper course of the Rio Cabrado, 12000 ft. alt., Oct. 1920, C. Bües 1071 1073.
Breutelia breviseta Broth., Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1(3): 655. 1904. Bartramia breviseta Müll. Hal., Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital. 4: 42. 1897, hom. illeg. Type: Bolivia. In loco non indicato, sed in regiono alta, Mandon.
Breutelia macrocarpa Schimp. ex Paris, Index Bryol. Suppl. 53. 1900. Bartramia macrocarpa Schimp., Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital. n. s. 4: 45. 1897, hom. illeg. Syntypes: Bolivia. Sorata, 13,000 ped. alta, Rusby; Febr. 1836, G. Mandon primus legit in iisdem regionibus.
Breutelia microdonta (Mitt.) Broth., Bih. Kongl. Svenska Vetensk.-Akad. Handl. 21 Afd. 2(3): 27. 1895. Bartramia microdonta Mitt., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 263. 1869. Type: Brazil. Brasilia, prov. Fazenda di Cachamba (2000 ped.) ad rupes humidas, Weir s.n. Reported for Venezuela (1950 m). Considered a synonym of Breutelia merrillii Broth., fide Eddy (1996).
Breutelia minuta Herzog, Biblioth. Bot. 87: 100. 37 d-f. 1916. Type: Bolivia. An den Cerros de Malaga, auf torfigem Boden, ca. 4000 m, Herzog 4397.
Breutelia scoparia (Schwägr.) A. Jaeger, Ber. Thätigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 1873-74: 96. 1875. Bartramia scoparia Schwägr., Sp. Musc. Frond. Suppl. 1, 1(2): 241. 1828. Type: In insula Martiniceni G. Sieber. Reported for Venezuela.
Breutelia subtomentosa (Hampe) A. Jaeger, Ber. Thätigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 1873-74: 94 (Gen. Sp. Musc. 1: 556). 1875. Bartramia subtomentosa Hampe, Vidensk. Meddel. Dansk Naturhist. Foren. Kjøbenhavn ser. 3 4: 49. 1872. Type: Brazil. “in vicinia urbis Rio de Janeiro,” Glaziou. Reported for Ecuador (2800-2900 m).
Breutelia ulicina Herzog, Hedwigia 67: 263. 1927. Type: Argentina. Tucuman, Valle Nougues, ca. 100 m, inter saxa, 12 Jul 1911, Hicken 29.
Breutelia wainioi Broth., Bot. Centralbl. 36: 86. 1888. Bartramia declivium (Broth.) Müll. Hal., Gen. Musc. Frond. 346. 1900. Reported for Bolivia.
Published nomina nuda:
Breutelia auricolor Herzog nom. nud., Bolivia.
Breutelia mniocarpa Schimp. ex Müll. Hal., Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital. n. s. 4: 166. 1897, nom. nud. Based on: Bolivia. Possibly Mandon [1677 in Schimper herb.].