35. Meesiaceae Schimper
Dale H. Vitt
Plants acrocarpous. Stems erect to ascending, simple to sparsely branched. Leaves erect-spreading to squarrose-recurved, somewhat crowded, uniform, ovate-lanceolate to linear or obovate; margins not bordered; apex acute to rounded-obtuse; costa single, strong, usually ending before apex; distal laminal cells rounded-hexagonal to rectangular, smooth or mammillose. Seta slender, usually very long, to 11 cm. Capsule sometimes inclined, clavate to pyriform, sometimes curved, smooth, neck long, well defined, abruptly merging to wider urn; peristome diplolepidous, double, reduced; exostome teeth 16, shorter than endostome; endostome segments 16, cilia 0-3. Calyptra cucullate, naked.
Genera 5, species ca. 12 (4 genera, 6 species in the flora): n North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands (New Guinea, New Zealand), Australia (including Tasmania).
Meesiaceae are characterized by capsules with long necks that abruptly expand into the spore sac. The acrocarpous plants generally occur on peaty substrates, have undifferentiated alar cells, long setae, and often reduced diplolepidous peristomes.
