Garckea comosa (Dozy & Molk.) Wijk & Marg., Taxon 9: 190. 1960. Grimmia comosa Dozy & Molk., Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot., sér. 3, 2: 304. 1844. Garckea phascoides C. Müll., Bot. Zeit. (Berlin) 3: 865. 1845. Dicranum phascoides Hook., Bot. Misc. 1: 39. 1829. Garckea phascoides (Hook.) C. Müll. ex Dozy & Molk., Bryol. Jav. 1: 92. 1858, hom. illeg. non Garckea phascoides C. Müll.

Plants small, slender, 1.0–1.5 cm high, yellowish green, gregarious or in loose tufts. Stems erect, simple, densely foliate at the tips, radiculose at base. Leaves appressed when dry, erect-patent when moist, slenderly lanceolate, 1.5–2.0 mm long, gradually narrowed from an oblong-ovate base to a slender acumen; margins plane or slightly incurved above, entire throughout; costa strong, shortly excurrent; upper and median cells 25–50 µm × 4–7 µm, firm-walled; basal cells longer, 50–55 µm × 5–7 µm, thin-walled. Dioicous. Perichaetial leaves larger than the upper stem leaves, 3–4 mm long, rather abruptly narrowed from a broadly oblong-ovate base to a slender acumen. Setae very short, 0.3 mm; capsules ca. 1.2 mm long, immersed, oblong-ovoid to cylindric with a broader base, contracted below the mouth; opercula short conic-rostrate; annuli in 1–2 rows of large and thick-walled cells, deciduous; peristome teeth lanceolate, irregularly perforate or 2–3 divided, pale yellowish above, reddish brown below, densely papillose throughout or transversely barred near the base. Calyptrae small, mitrate, only covering the tips of opercula, split at the base. Spores 20–25 µm in diameter, yellowish brown, minutely papillose.

Type. India: Griffith s.n.

Chinese specimens examined: FUJIAN: Sanming City, D.-K. Li 01577 (SHM). GUANGDONG: Guangzhou City, P.-J. Lin 53 (IBSC); Luofu Shan (Mt.), Magill et al. 8113 (MO). GUANGXI: Shang-si Co., C. Gao et al. 1900 (IFSBH); Tian-lin Co., C. Gao et al. 2570 (IFSBH). HAINAN: Diao-luo Shan (Mt.), C. Gao 2755 (IFSBH). SICHUAN: Mu-li Co., C. Gao et al. 20064 (IFSBH); Ya-an Co., C. Gao & T. Cao 17442, 17512 (IFSBH). YUNNAN: De-hong Co., W.-X. Xu 16, 20 (YUKU); Jing-hong Co., Magill et al. 7799 (MO); Kunming City, W.-X. Xu 44 (YUKU).

Habitat: on soil in alpine regions; Distribution: China, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Central and South America, and Africa.

There was nomenclatural confusion surrounding this species. The problem has been discussed and resolved by Margadant and Norkett (1973).

Illustrations: C. Gao (ed.) 1994 (Pl. 29, figs. 1–11, as Garckea phascoides).