Capsule erect

Other distinguishing features Capsules erect, winged. 

Description Herbaceous perennial. Leaves in basal rosettes, narrow-elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, 7.5-35 cm long, 0.5-3.5 cm wide, with 3-5 parallel veins, apex acute, narrow petiolate. Inflorescence a dense, erect, cylindrical spike, 1.5-8 cm tall peduncles 15-60 cm tall, with 5 ribs bracts ovate, acute. Corolla 4-lobed. Fruit a 2-seeded, circumscissile capsule. Seeds elongate-oval. 

Description Herbaceous perennial. Leaves in basal rosettes, broad-eUiptic to broad-ovate, 4-21 cm long, 3-14 cm wide, 3-9 parallel veins, sheathing petiolate. Inflorescences dense, erect, narrow-cylindric spikes, 5-15 cm tall peduncles 15-70 cm tall bracts ovate, acute. Corolla greenish or yellowish white with 4 reflexed lobes. Fruit a 2-seeded, circumscis-sile capsule. Seeds 1-1.5 mm long, densely reticulate. 

Angle of the capsule with the direction of the seta variable, erect to pendulous state 1 erect to horizontal state 2 horizontal to pendulous state 3. 

Traditionally, most pleurocarpous moss capsules were characterized either as horizontal, with a perfect or hypnoid peristome, or erect, with a neckeroid or leskeoid peristome, hi addition, many species have intermediate, so called inclined capsules, sometimes with peristomes that are intermediate between those in horizontal and erect capsules. Especially in tropical and subtropical areas cemuous or pendulous capsules are also relatively frequent, and these have usually more or less hypnoid peristomes. This division of capsules and peristome types is far too simplistic to reflect reality. The terminology is unfortunately very unclear and has added significantly to the incorrect ideas of pleurocarpous moss relationships that were predominant until recently, and gives false imphcations regarding the relationship between the sporophytes and the habitats in which they are found. 

When the suggested terminology is applied to a few example species, the orthotropous capsules of Sanionia georgicomcinata (Miill. Hal.) Ochyra and Hedenas are erect in their habitat, whereas those of Homalothecium sericeum (Hedw.) Schimp. are horizontal. The orthogonal capsules of Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) Schimp. are horizontal. 

There must be some reservations about the monophyly of a family united on the basis of cooccurring characters of erect capsule and reduced peristome, since this combination occurs repeat-... 

---