Fissidens anisophyllus Dixon

Plants 2–6 mm, loosely gregarious. Stems occasionally branched. Leaves in 4–10 pairs, not overlapping at mid stem, patent, plane when moist, lightly crispate when dry, oblong-lanceolate, 0.8–1.4 × 0.20–0.25 mm; apex acute; laminae unistratose; vaginant laminae ½–⅔ leaf length, partially closed to closed; dorsal lamina failing above leaf insertion, tapered to its base; margins entire on dorsal, apical and vaginant laminae, serrulate towards the leaf apex; marginal cells distinct in 1–2 rows, prosenchymatous, forming a unistratose border that is variably developed, but usually present throughout the vaginant laminae and to some extent on dorsal and apical laminae; cells of apical and dorsal laminae quadrate to hexagonal, smooth, non-bulging, thin-walled, (4.5–)6.0–10.5(–15.0) × (4.5–)6.5–10.5(–12) µm. Costa percurrent, or failing a few cells below the leaf apex, bryoides-type in cross-section.

Dioicous. Perichaetia terminal; perichaetial leaves longer than vegetative. Perigonia terminal on main stem or axillary shoots; male plants of similar size to female. Setae 1.5–2.0 mm; capsules erect, symmetric, 0.3–0.5 mm; operculum obliquely rostrate from a conic base, ¾ to equal the length of theca. Peristome bryoides-type; teeth with long-columnar papillae on the adaxial trabeculae below the bifurcation, 35–40 µm wide at base. Calyptra smooth, cucullate. Spores 10–14 µm.

Dixon 1912, fig. 21, 42–45; Beever 1996, figs 4–5; Beever et al. 2002, p. 14, figs 1–6.

Fissidens anisophyllus differs from F. leptocladus in its generally shorter plants (2–6 mm vs 3–15 mm), laminal cells less bulging and thinner-walled (and hence more pellucid), more variable in size, and generally larger: (4.5–)6.0–10.5(–15.0) × (4.5–)6.5–10.5(–12) µm in F. anisophyllus vs (5.0–)6.0–7.5(–9.0) × 6.0–9.0 µm in F. leptocladus.

An account of F. anisophyllus in N.Z. was given by Beever (1996).