Greek bryo, moss, and xiphium, sword, referring to form of plants

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 above, the distal, perigonial, and perichaetial leaves long-subulate; margin nearly entire, crenate-serrulate at leaf apex; costa smooth, strong, ending in or near leaf apex, or ending in the 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.

Widespread but disjunct: largely temperate Northern Hemisphere.

Lower Taxon

• Bryoxiphium norvegicum (Bridel) Mitten

Related Synonym(s):

• Phyllogonium norvegicum Bridel = Bryoxiphium norvegicum (Bridel) Mitten