Orthodontiaceae

Orthodontiaceae
Orthodontium lineare
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Bryophyta
Class:	Bryopsida
Subclass:	Bryidae
Order:	Rhizogoniales
Family:	Orthodontiaceae Goffinet
Genera
See Classification

Orthodontiaceae is a family of mosses.^[1]

Description

Species in the family are acrocarpous or pseudo-pleurocarpous mosses that are epiphytic. They are usually dioecious and have erect setae and capsules with a well-developed operculum. They are characterized as small plants growing loosely on coniferous trees, decaying coniferous wood, or in terrestrial habitats. Species are widespread in tropical and temperate regions.^[2]

Classification

The placement of the family has been subject to much revision. The genus Orthodontium was elevated to family status by W. R. Buck and Goffinet (2000) and was originally associated with the Bryales. The family was elevated the order Orthodontiales by Bell et al. (2007).^[3] The family most recently is considered as part of the Rhizogoniales.^[1]

The genera represented by the order are:

• Orthodontium
• Orthodontopsis
• Hymenodon
• Leptotheca

References

1. Goffinet, Bernard; Shaw, A. Jonathon (2009). "Morphology and classification of the Bryophyta". Bryophyte Biology. ISBN 9781107377288.
2. P. M. Eckel. 2014. Orthodontiaceae. In Flora of North America. Vol. 28: 113-116
3. Bell, Neil E.; Quandt, Dietmar; O'Brien, Terry J.; Newton, Angela E. (2007). "Taxonomy and Phylogeny in the Earliest Diverging Pleurocarps: Square Holes and Bifurcating Pegs". The Bryologist. 110 (3): 533–560. ISSN 0007-2745.