Brothera leana (Sull.) C. Müll., Gen. Musc. Frond. 259. 1900; Leucophanes leanum Sull., Musci Allegh. 41. 1846.
白氏藓
Plants small, 3–8 mm high, green or yellowish green with grayish sheen, in dense, compact tufts. Stems radiculose at the base, with many small, spindle-shaped brood bodies clustered in axils of the upper leaves. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 3.0–3.6 mm long, gradually narrowed from a short, tubulose base, subtubulose above; margins entire or slightly serrulate at the tips; costa broad, filling 1/3 – ½ or more of the leaf base width and nearly all of the subula; laminal cells thin-walled, rectangular above, marginal cells somewhat elongate, laxer at the base; alar cells not clearly differentiated. Setae ca. 8 mm long, reddish brown; capsules reddish brown, ca. 1.0 mm long, 0.5 mm in diameter, without stomata. Spores 10–15 µm in diameter, pale yellowish, mostly smooth.
Type. U.S.A.
Chinese specimens examined: FUJIAN: Wuyi Shan (Mt.), D.-K. Li 12259 (IFSBH, SHM). GUIZHOU: Yong-cheng Co., D.-K. Li 402960 (IFSBH, SHM). HEBEI: Xing-long Co., J.-X. Ji 744 (IFSBH). HEILONGJIANG: Da Xing An Ling (Greater Khingan Mt.), C. Gao 13083 (IFSBH); Ningan Co., C. Gao 6827 (MO); Xiao Xing An Ling (Lesser Khingan Mt.), P.-C. Chen & C. Gao 120, 280 (IFSBH, MO), T.-Y. Yu 830065 (MO); Ya-cheng Co., C. Gao 5031 (MO); Yichun City, P.-C. Chen & C. Gao 447 (MO). HUBEI: Da Shen Nong Jia (Mt.), X.-W. Zhang 33135 (IFSBH). JIANGXI: Jing Gang Shan (Mt.), Y.-Z. Liu 20037 (IFSBH); Lu Shan (Mt.), C. Gao 40889 (MO). JILIN: An-tu Co., C. Gao 1248 (IFSBH), 22222 (MO); Chang-bai Co., C. Gao 7238 (IFSBH); Jiao-he Co., C. Gao 1652, 1668 (MO); Song-jiang Co., C. Gao 22308 (MO); Yong-ji Co., C. Gao 1619 (MO). LIAONING: Heng-ren Co., C. Gao 2161 (MO); Zang-he Co., X.-Y. Jia 880197 (MO). NEI MONGOL: Yier Shi, C. Gao 3347 (MO); Da Xing An Ling (Greater Khingan Mt.), C. Gao 3779 (MO), S.-E. Liu 8743 (MO). SHAANXI: Taibai Shan (Mt.), Z.-P. Wei 6412 (IFSBH). SICHUAN: Mu-li Co., C. Gao et al. 19926, 21023 (IFSBH), C. Gao 20116, 20196 (MO); Wolong Natural Preserves, Q.-Z. Zheng 105a (MO). XIZANG: Cha-yu Co., M. Zang 5347 (IFSBH, KUN); Mo-tuo Co., Y.-G. Su 1437 (IFSBH, KUN); Ya-dong Co., M. Zang 77 (IFSBH, KUN). YUNNAN: An-ning Co., S.-Y. Zeng 298 (IFSBH, KUN); Jing-dong Co., G.-C. Zhang & T. Cao 14391 (MO), J.-K. Zhang 961 (YUKU, IFSBH); Song-ming Co., W.-M. Zhu 6412 (YUKU, IFSBH); Xishuanbanna, Magill et al. 7684, 7969 (MO). ZHEJIANG: Li-nan Co., P.-C. Wu 24873 (MO); Xitianmu Shan (Mt.), Y.-F. Wang 303 (HSNU).
Habitat: on tree bases or rotten wood, and rarely on rocks; Distribution: China, India, Korea, Japan, Russia (Siberia), and North America.
This species often produces abundant clusters of brood bodies in axils of the upper leaves and appears to have grayish sheen, which is easily recognized in the fields.
Illustrations: C. Gao (ed.) 1994 (Pl. 87, figs. 1–10).