八齿藓属

Plants small to medium-sized, whitish to grayish green, in loose to rather dense cushions. Stems short, simple or sparsely branched. Leaves erect-patent, flexuose or reflexed from a slightly sheathing base, ligulate, obtuse-apiculate to shortly mucronate apex, flattened or terete-triangular; margins entire to slightly serrulate at the apex; costae broad, thick, filling almost the entire upper lamina, convex on abaxial side in cross section, costal leucocysts in 2–10 layers, enclosing a nearly centrally positioned chlorocyst layer; the chlorocysts triangular in the upper part of leaves, quadrangular at leaf base in cross section; hyaline lamina cells small, confined to both sides of costa at leaf base. Autoicous or dioicous. Setae terminal or lateral, short to elongate; capsules erect, oblong-ovoid to cylindrical, symmetric, stomata superficial; peristome teeth 8 or 16, broad-lanceolate, smooth to vertically striate-reticulate, properistome present; opercula conic-rostrate with a long oblique beak. Calyptrae cucullate, smooth, entire at base.

The genus Octoblepharum is mainly distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions; occasionally it is also found in temperate latitudes. It is often found on tree trunks of cycads and palms. There are about ten species of Octoblepharum in the world. One species is known from China.

Lower Taxon

• Octoblepharum albidum Hedw.