Tropical pleurocarps

The one real weakness with both Schimper s and Mitten s classihcations is that they considered only regional floras. Since most pleurocarpous moss families occur over multi-continental ranges, it is often difficult for a parochial work to account for the total range of morphological variation in a family. Most regional floristicians are not familiar with the total possibihties of generic inclusions. This is particularly relevant for pleurocarps in which most of the families have a tropical center of diversity. 

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. 

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