Myrinia Schimper, Syn. Musc. Eur. 483. 1860.
[for Swedish bryologist Claes Gustav Myrin]
Piers Majestyk
Plants small to medium in size, in loose or dense mats, yellowish-green. Stems creeping, irregularly branched. Branches short and blunt, horizontally spreading. Paraphyllia none. Leaves of stem and branches similar, loosely appressed when dry, somewhat spreading when moist, concave, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, bluntly acute to obtuse, margins entire, decurrent; costa single, faint, 1/3 to 1/2 leaf length, at times unevenly divided in the distal portion; cells firm-walled and smooth, proximal laminal cells oblate to quadrate near the margin, medial and distal laminal cells rhombic. Sexual condition autoicous or dioicous. Perigonial leaves ovate, shortly acute, ecostate, proximal cells bulging-rectangular, medial and distal cells rhombic to linear. Perichaetial leaves sheathing, exterior leaves short, ovate, interior leaves oblong-lanceolate, ecostate; proximal cells rectangular to long-hexagonal, medial and distal cells rhombic to linear. Seta yellow to reddish brown, elongate, twisted. Capsule erect, light to dark brown, cylindric, smooth, annulus absent; peristome double; exostome teeth 16, bordered, yellow, cross-striolate from base to 3/4 of length, distal portion lightly papillose, slightly trabeculate; endostome segments 16, yellow, equaling length of the exostome, lightly papillose; cilia none; basal membrane low. Operculum convex-conic, blunt to short-pointed. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, naked. Spores spherical, papillose, yellow-light brown.
Species 2 (1 in the flora); largely restricted to Arctic regions worldwide.
SELECTED REFERENCES
Crum, H. A. and L. E. Anderson. 1981. Mosses of Eastern North America. 2 vols. New York. Nyholm, E. 1960. Illustrated moss flora of Fennoscandia. 2 vols. Malmo, Sweden.
