Taxon	Illustrator ⠉
	Heterocladium dimorphum	Patricia M. Eckel
	Heterocladium macounii	Patricia M. Eckel
	Heterocladium procurrens	Patricia M. Eckel

Plants in wiry wefts, dark green to olive green, occasionally yellowish. Stems irregularly branched to pinnate; paraphyllia few or absent. Leaves appressed or squarrose, imbricate, dimorphic, stem-leaves ovate-acuminate, branch leaves ovate; margins plane, serrate, serrulate, or papillose-serrate; apex acute to acuminate; costa single, short, usually 2-fid or double to mid leaf, broad basally; alar cells not differentiated; laminal cells quadrate to rhomboidal, strongly papillose or smooth, walls thickened; basal and juxtacostal cells elongate. Capsule horizontal, short-cylindric, curved.

Distribution

North America, Mexico, Central America (El Salvador), South America, Europe, Asia

Discussion

Species 9 (3 in the flora).

Heterocladium frequently has elongate to flagellate branches. The seta is 0.1–0.2 cm and smooth; the capsule is brown; the operculum is conic-apiculate to short-rostrate; the peristome is perfect, with 2 or 3 elongate, nodose cilia; and the spores are 10–18 µm and essentially smooth.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Heterocladium dimorphum, Heterocladium macounii, Heterocladium procurrens

Key

1	Laminal cells smooth; leaves squarrose-spreading when dry.	Heterocladium procurrens
1	Laminal cells smooth or papillose; leaves spreading to erect-appressed when dry	> 2
2	Laminal cell papillae 2-4 per lumen; stem epidermal cells multipapillose; leaf margins papillose-serrate.	Heterocladium macounii
2	Laminal cell papillae 1 at distal ends; basal cells smooth; stem epidermal cells smooth; leaf margins serrate to serrulate.	Heterocladium dimorphum