Leucobryaceae is a family of
haplolepideous mosses (
Dicranidae
The Dicranidae are a widespread and diverse subclass of mosses in class Bryopsida, with many species of dry or disturbed areas. They are distinguished by their spores; the peristome Peristome (from the Greek ''peri'', meaning 'around' or 'about' ...
) in the order
Dicranales
Dicranales is an order of haplolepideous mosses in the subclass Dicranidae
The Dicranidae are a widespread and diverse subclass of mosses in class Bryopsida, with many species of dry or disturbed areas. They are distinguished by their spore
...
.
Description
Members of the family grow small to large cushions. Species are characterized by having thick, whitish leaves with a large, expanded costa.
It has been suggested that the characteristic pale color exhibited by some species is caused by air bubbles in the
leucocysts, and the presence of air in the leaf is assumed characteristic of the Leucobryaceae.
[Robinson, H. 1985. The structure and significance of the leucobryaceous leaf. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 11: 111-120. Robinson, H. 1990. A functional evolution of the Leucobryaceae. Trop. Bryol. 2: 223-237. Yamaguchi, T. 1993. A revision of the genus Leucobryum (Musci) in Asia. J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 73: 1-123.]
Classification
The Leucobryaceae have been sometimes included in the
Dicranaceae
Dicranaceae is a family of haplolepideous mosses (Dicranidae) in class Bryopsida. Species within this family are dioicous
Dioicy () is a sexual system where archegonia and antheridia are produced on separate gametophytes. It is one of the t ...
because of similar costa and peristome structures.
The number of genera assigned to the family has been subject to much debate and has ranged from one to fourteen.
Calymperaceae
Calymperaceae is a family of haplolepideous mosses (Dicranidae) in the order Dicranales.
Genera
The family Calymperaceae contains seven genera:
*'' Arthrocormus''
*'' Calymperes''
*'' Exodictyon''
*'' Exostratum''
*'' Leucophanes''
*'' ...
, while molecular analyses have led to other changes, with other genera from Dicranaceae
Dicranaceae is a family of haplolepideous mosses (Dicranidae) in class Bryopsida. Species within this family are dioicous
Dioicy () is a sexual system where archegonia and antheridia are produced on separate gametophytes. It is one of the t ...
included.[
*'' Atractylocarpus''
*'' Brothera''
*'' Bryohumbertia''
*'' Campylopodiella''
*'' Campylopus''
*'' Cladopodanthus''
*'' Dicranodontium''
*'' Leucobryum''
*'' Microcampylopus''
*'' Ochrobryum''
*'' Pilopogon''
*'' Schistomitrium''
]
References
Dicranales
Moss families
{{Bryophyte-stub