Subclass Bryidae contains the majority of true moss diversity worldwide. This group is characterized by having a diplolepidous peristome with two concentric rings of teeth – endostome and exostome. The exostome responds hygroscopically to moisture changes. The group includes both acrocarpous and pleurocarpous mosses.
Note: older or informal references sometimes use “Bryidae” in a broader sense, roughly equivalent to all “true mosses” with arthrodontous peristomes – a tad confusing!
A few members of Subclass Bryidae include:
- Aulacomnium androgynum
- Bartramia pomiformis
- Bryum argenteum
- Buckiella undulata
- Claopodium crispifolium
- Fontinalis antipyretica
- Homalothecium fulgescens
- Hylocomium splendens
- Hypnum circinale
- Kindbergia oregana
- Kindbergia praelonga
- Leptobryum pyriforme
- Leucolepis acanthoneuron
- Metaneckera menziesii
- Neckera douglasii
- Orthrotrichum lyellii
- Orthotrichum obtusifolium
- Plagiomnium insigne
- Pleurozium schreberi
- Pohlia annotina
- Pohlia nutans
- Pottia truncata
- Pseudoscleropodium purum
- Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans
- Racomitrium heterostichum
- Rhizomnium glabrescens
- Rhytidiadelphus loreus
- Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
- Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus
- Rhytidiopsis robusta