Hedwigia 80: 4. 1941.

 

Plants rather robust, yellowish green when young, reddish brown to reddish when old, gregarious or loosely caespitose. Stems simple or branched, densely foliate; central strand usually present. Leaves appressed, curved-contorted or crisped when dry, erect-spreading or reflexed when moist, oblong-ovate to oblong-elliptic, narrowly lanceolate, or ligulate, gradually acute to broadly acute at the apex; margins plane or recurved below mid-leaf, usually irregularly dentate above the mid-leaf, often with 3–4 rows of marginal cells reddish brown, pellucid, with fewer papillae, thus showing a distinct differentiated border; costa strong, attenuate near the tips, ending at the apex or shortly excurrent, in cross section two stereid bands present; median and upper leaf cells green, rounded-quadrate or irregularly rounded-hexagonal, with numerous round or C-shaped or satellite papillae; basal cells elongate, irregularly rectangular, smooth, hyaline, often reddish. Gemmae frequently present in leaf axils or on rhizoids. Dioicous or sometimes monoicous. Perichaetial leaves differentiated, usually sheathing in the lower half. Setae elongate, twisted or straight, purple when old; capsules short-cylindric, yellowish brown, reddish when old; annuli differentiated, of 1–2 rows of vesiculose cells; peristome teeth filiform, erect or twisted, densely papillose, sometimes with rudimentary teeth; opercula obliquely rostrate. Calyptrae cucullate. Spores spherical, light brown, finely papillose.

 

The genus consists of some twenty-seven species in the world. Nine species and one variety are recognized for China.

 

1. Leaf apices totally blunt......................................................................................................................................... 2

1. Leaf apices acute or apiculate................................................................................................................................ 3

2. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, reflexed in the upper part, somewhat sheathing at the base; margins recurved only in the lower half........................................................................................................ 2. B. brachystegium

2. Leaves ovate-ligulate, somewhat cucullate; margins recurved nearly throughout.... 5. B. inaequalifolium

3. Leaves ligulate, with a distinct differentiated border, consisting of several rows of smooth cells................ 4

3. Leaves oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, without a differentiated border........................................................ 5

4. Upper leaf margins irregularly dentate, each tooth consisting of several cells........................ 4. B. hostile

4. Upper leaf margins regularly denticulate, each tooth consisting of one cell or protrusion of a cell angle

5. Margins entire and recurved below mid-leaf or 2/3 of the leaf length, plane and dentate above; costa ending below the apex......................................................................................................................................................... 6

5. Margins entire and recurved throughout or only crenulate with distant teeth near the apex; costa percurrent........................................................................................................................................................................................ 8

6. Leaf margins moderatedly recurved in the low half; leaf base not differentiated.............. 1. B. alpigenum

6. Leaf margins strongly recurved in lower 2/3 of the leaf length; leaf base distinctly differentiated............ 7

7. Leaves with a narrowly ovate base; upper margins irregularly dentate.... 9a. B. yunnanense var. yunnanense

7. Leaves with a broadly ovate base; upper margins distantly denticulate....... 9b. B. yunnanense var. pulvinans

8. Leaf margins with distant teeth near the apex................................................................ 6. B. recurvirostrum

8. Leaf margins entire throughout........................................................................................................................ 9

9. Leaf apices acute or apiculate; peristome teeth absent........................................................ 3. B. gymnostomum

9. Leaf apices narrowly acuminate; peristome teeth present, filiform............................................... 7. B. rubrum