Blytt's Kiaeria Moss

Kiaeria blyttii is distinguished by position of the male inflorescence at the ends of separate branches or well below the perichaetia, giving the appearance of separate stems (polyoicous). In the field, it can be distinguished from small sterile forms of K. starkei by its more terrestrial habit, spreading leaves, dull, dark green or brownish color, and lack of grooves on the dry capsules.

Plants in loose or brown tufts, dark green, dull. Stems 1-2 cm. Branch leaves erect-spreading, flexuose and somewhat crisped when dry, lanceolate, gradually subulate, 2-4 mm, margins occasionally distally 2-stratose; costa 35-50 µm at base; distal laminal cells mostly subquadrate (1-2:1), 8-11 µm wide, papillose on the dorsal surface; basal laminal cells elongate, smooth, sometimes porose, alar cells gradually enlarged. Perichaetial leaves similar to the cauline. Perigonia terminal on separate branches or located well below the perichaetia. Capsule not ribbed when dry, urn 1-1.2 mm. Spores 13-23 µm.

Plants slender, 1–2 cm high, dull to blackish green, in tufts. Stems erect or ascending, simple or sparsely branched, radiculose at base. Leaves 2–4 mm long, erect-spreading or flexuose when moist, moderate crispate when dry, lanceolate from a oblong-ovate base, gradually tapered to a subulate, acute to obtuse apex; margins plane, entire or serrulate near the apex; costa excurrent, consisting of rather uniform thick-walled cells, guide cells not clearly differentiated in transverse section; upper cells quadrate to shortly rectangular, mammillose; basal cells short- to elongate-rectangular, sometimes porose near the costa; alar cells quadrate, brownish, rather well differentiated. Polyoicous. Androecia far below the perichaetia or terminal on a short branch, sometimes on separate male plants. Perichaetial leaves inflated, sheathing at the base, suddenly linear-lanceolate, ca. 5 mm long. Setae straight, up to 15 mm long, yellowish green, becoming reddish brown when old; capsules short-cylindric, curved, inclined, urns 1–2 mm long, somewhat strumose at the base, not furrowed when dry; exothecial cells mostly more than twice as long as wide, thin-walled; opercula ca. ½ the length of urns; annuli compound, in 3 rows of large cells, deciduous; peristome teeth divided halfway down, papillose, vertically striolate or pitted striolate below on the dorsal surface. Spores 14–20 µm in diameter, finely papillose.

Distribution: China, Russia (Siberia), Europe, and North America.

Habitat: on wet rocks in forests.

Dicranum blyttii Bruch & Schimper, Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Handl. 34: 164. 1846; Arctoa blyttii (Bruch & Schimper) Loeske; A. blyttii var. hispidula (R. S. Williams) Grout

Kiaeria blyttii is a species of moss belonging to the family Dicranaceae.

It has cosmopolitan distribution.