Philonotis cernua

Philonotis cernua (Wilson) D.G. Griffin & W.R. Buck. Bryologist 92: 376. 1989.
Basionym: Glyphocarpa cernua Wilson, Hooker's Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany 3: 383. 1841.
Types: Ireland and Wales. On Connor Hill in Ireland in the year 1829, and subsequently at Cwm Bychan (10/1840 leg. Hevallags et W.Wilson, BP 43612!), near Harlech [Wales], by Salwey.
Synonyms: Bartramidula wilsonii Bruch et Schimp. in Bruch, Schimper et Gümbel, Bryol. Eur. 4: 57. 1846.

Description:
Plants small, up to 0,5 cm long, in loose tufts. Leaves secund, 0,6-1,4 mm long; erect when dry, erecto-patent when wet; lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate; margin plane, with simple teeth, markedly protruding in upper part. Costa percurrent to only shortly excurrent, strongly papillose at back in upper part. Lower leaf cells rectangular, 12-30 × 5-8 um, with distal papillae in ventral leaf surface of upper cells and projecting proximal cell end in lower leaf cells. Alar cells not or weakly differentiated, shortly rectangular.

Synoicous. Perigonial leaves longer than stem leaves. Seta flexuouse to cygneous. Capsules erect, smooth, abundant. Peristome absent. Spores 30-40 um.

Ecology:
Reported from damp, bare, previously burnt, acidic peat on heathy montane slopes, occasionally on unstable mineral soil amongst loose scree; from sea-level to 500 m elevation (Hill et al. 1994).

Distribution:
Europe: only British Isles (Scotland, Wales, W Ireland). World range: Europe; Asia: China; Africa: Fernando Po; SE North America, Mexico, Central America, W and N South America.

Variation:
In size and leaf curvature. American specimens with stems to 2 cm long.

Possible confusions:
P. capillaris (dioicous, straight seta, peristome developed; longer excurrent costa without conspicuous papillae at back, less protruding marginal teeth in upper part of leaf, broader and less papillose cells).

Exssicates:

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