Glyphocarpa laevisphaera Taylor, London J. Bot. 5: 56. 1846 (as laevisphera)

Plants yellowish or reddish. Stems 1-5 cm. Leaves imbricate or distal leaves divaricate when dry, spreading to recurved when moist, narrowly ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, distal lamina 2-stratose toward costa, 3- or 4-stratose at margins, 2-6.5 mm; margins coarsely doubly serrate distally; costa excurrent to long-excurrent, abaxial surface rough; inner basal laminal cells elongated oblong; distal cells short-rectangular to linear, to 45 × 3-7 µm, prorulose at both ends. [Seta 0.2-0.8 cm. Capsule 2-3 mm; operculum short-conic; peristome absent. Spores 23-28 µm].

Dry to moist soil, rock crevices, talus slopes; moderate to high elevations (1000-1700 m); Ariz., Colo., N.Mex.; Mexico; West Indies; Central America; South America; Asia; Africa.

The prominently prorulose laminal cells and well-differentiated cells of the leaf base distinguish Anacolia laevisphaera from A. menziesii. When sterile, Bartramia stricta may be mistaken for A. laevisphaera. The basal laminal cells of this species are subquadrate, to short-rectangular toward the margins, and 20 × 10-12 µm. erect, imbricate when dry, spreading when moist, narrowly lanceolate, distal lamina 1 (or 2)- stratose at margins, 2.5-4.5 mm; margins singly or doubly serrate distally; costa percurrent or short-excurrent, abaxial surface smooth; inner basal laminal cells quadrate or short-rectangular; distal cells rectangular to oblong, 25 × 4-10 µm, smooth or few cells bearing low prorulae on abaxial side. Seta 0.5-1.2 cm. Capsule 2-2.8 mm; operculum conic-obtuse; peristome usually absent, when present variously developed, usually broken, sometimes as low thin membrane below mouth. Spores 18-32 µm.