Authors: Dr. Guy R. Brassard

Plants without deciduous distal leaves. Leaf apex acute; costa subpercurrent; sheath clear or yellowish; limb green, pellucid; limb–sheath transition abrupt, not sharply angled; limb margins strongly dentate in distal half, with fewer and smaller teeth below, and a few small sharp teeth at limb-sheath transition; limb lamina cells (5--)7--16(--21) X (6--)7--12(--14) µm, with low rounded or flattened mamillae on the adaxial surface, abaxial surface smooth; abaxial surfaces of sheath lamina cells smooth or with 1-–6 papillae over lumen; cells at leaf insertion not fragile and hyaline; abaxial surface of limb costa smooth (rarely papillose near leaf apex), adaxial cells with rounded or somewhat flattened mamillae. Monoicous. Perichaetial leaves narrower than vegetative leaves. Calyptra with a median longitudinal split, sometimes persistent on the neck of the capsule or seta. Capsule plicate or puckered when dry; exothecial cells with non–sinuose walls; stomata on urn; endostome cilia with numerous spine-like or branched-stellate appendiculations on the inner surfaces.

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora): North America; Eurasia; n Africa; Hawaii.

T. megapolitana is a distinct species within the genus, separated by its monoicous sexuality, distinct but pale leaf sheaths, and elaborately appendiculate endostome cilia.

Lower Taxa

• Timmia megapolitana subsp. bavarica (C. Hessler) G.R. Brassard
• Timmia megapolitana subsp. megapolitana

Related Synonym(s):

• Timmia bavarica C. Hessler = Timmia megapolitana subsp. bavarica (C. Hessler) G.R. Brassard
• Timmia cucullata A. Michaux = Timmia megapolitana subsp. megapolitana
• Timmia megapolitana var. bavarica (C. Hessler) S.E. Bridel = Timmia megapolitana subsp. bavarica (C. Hessler) G.R. Brassard