[Greek bryon, moss, and xiphium, sword, alluding to plant form]

Plants light green to brownish green, shiny. Stems with small, incrassate, pigmented epidermal cells; exterior cortical cells similar to epidermal cells; interior cortical cells larger, hyaline; central strand small. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, becoming apiculate to aristate distally, the distal, perigonial, and perichaetial leaves long-subulate; margin nearly entire, crenate-serrulate at apex; costa smooth, strong, ending in or near apex, or ending in subula of distal and gametoecial leaves; distal and medial laminal cells irregularly quadrate to irregularly oblong, outer and marginal laminal cells narrow and elongate, oblong at insertion, elongate in subula. Sporophytes rare. Spores smooth, or nearly so.

Species 2 (1 in the flora): widespread but disjunct, largely temperate Northern Hemisphere.

Lower Taxon

• Bryoxiphium norvegicum (Bridel) Mitten