Tortula gregaria Mitten, J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot., suppl. 1: 29. 1859

Leaves broadly ovate, margins plane. Specialized asexual repro-duction by massive, brown, elliptic to spheric, many-celled gemmae occurring singly or very few together in distal leaf axils, of up to 50 cells, 95-300 µm.

Soil; moderate elevations (1600 m); Alta.; Mexico; West Indies (Dominican Republic); Central America (Panama); South America (Colombia).

Variety gregaria is known in the flora area from only two, nonfruiting collections (see R. H. Zander 1979). The costa in the Alberta collection ends before the rounded apex; Mexican specimens generally have, however, apiculate leaves like those of the typical variety.