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The Dicranidae are a widespread and diverse subclass of
moss Mosses are small, non-vascular plant, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic phylum, division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Wilhelm Philippe Schimper, Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryo ...
es in class
Bryopsida The Bryopsida constitute the largest class of mosses, containing 95% of all moss species. It consists of approximately 11,500 species, common throughout the whole world. The group is distinguished by having spore capsules with teeth that are '' ...
, with many species of dry or disturbed areas. They are distinguished by their
spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual reproduction, sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for biological dispersal, dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores fo ...
s; the
peristome Peristome (from the Greek language, Greek ''peri'', meaning 'around' or 'about', and ''stoma'', 'mouth') is an anatomical feature that surrounds an opening to an organ or structure. Some plants, fungi, and shelled gastropods have peristomes. In mo ...
teeth are haplolepideous with a 4:2:3 formula, and an exostome is absent.


Systematics

Traditionally, the Dricanidae comprised about six to eight orders. However, phylogenetic analysis using molecular markers suggested that Dicranales was paraphyletic with respect to
Pottiales Pottiales is an order (biology), order of mosses in the subclass Dicranidae. Classification The following families are recognised in ''Bryophyte Biology'': *Pottiaceae *Pleurophascaceae *Serpotortellaceae *Mitteniaceae Some other families ...
. A recently phylogenomic analysis led to a break-up of Dicranales and creation of a number of new small orders. The phylogenetic relationships recovered within Dicranidae are shown in the cladogram below. The orders Bryoxiphiales, Pseudoditrichales and Mitteniales were not sampled in this study.


References

Plant subclasses Bryopsida {{Dicranidae-stub