Description. Plants slender, yellowish brown, in lax mats; stems with sympodial branching; branches arcuate to erect; flagelliform branches differentiated; pseudoparaphyllia foliose, with papillose cells. Leaves small, ovate or oblong-ovate, 1.2–2.0 mm long, concave, imbricate, apex sharply differentiated, very short, mucronate, subtubulose; upper and median leaf cells 10–12 µm, quadrate or shortly rectangular (1– 2:1), with slightly sinuous longitudinal walls, luminal papillae small or absent, papillae on longitudinal walls; alar cells shortly rectangular or quadrate. Archegonia distal on vaginula; perichaetial leaves 1.8–2.2 mm, wide oblong, short acuminate; perichaetial paraphyses long. Setae elongate, 8–10 mm long; urns 2.0–2.3 mm long, cylindric to oblong- ellipsoidal, irregularly wrinkled, neck long, gradually attenuate, mouth narrower than widest part of capsule; stomata superficial; opercula conic at base, rostrate, long and slender. Calyptrae large, cucullate, covering most of capsule. Spores unicellular, 25–30 µm in diameter.

Braunia alopecura is characterized by a subtubulose acumen in vegetative and perichaetial leaves; usually cylindric to oblong-ellipsoidal capsules; reflexed margins at the leaf bases; and oblong- ovate, weakly plicate leaves.

Figure from He & De Luna (2004)

Braunia alopecura needs lectotypification. According to He & De Luna, the holotype shall be in JE, which according to Frahm (2014) cannot be, since the herbarium Bridel is in B.

Braunia alopecura was regarded as endemic species of the southern Alps. In a revision of the Chinese species of Braunia (He & De Luna 2004), the species was listed from “China, Cape Verde Is., France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Kuwait and Switzerland”, however, the revision by Frahm (1913) reported it only from the southern Alps of Italy and Switzerland, the Cape Verde Island and China. Later, Frahm (2014) Braunia alopecura regarded as synonymous with what he thought it was B. secunda. However the actual comparison in Frahm (2014) was between B. alopecura and B. andrieuxii.

The pictures of B. alopecura in Frahm (2013) are correctly identified plants. However his pictures of B. secunda (figs 4-5) actually correspond to a specimen better identied as B. andrieuxii.

Dalton et al. (2013) distinguished Braunia alopecura from B. secunda by plane (vs. recurved) leaf margins, lamina cells with numerous conspicuous papillae (vs. few inconspicuous), shorter capsule and shorter seta.

Habitat.On granite boulders or stream banks; elevation 2,200–2,550 m.

Distribution. China, Cape Verde Is (Bystrom
177, S), France, Germany (Weber s.n., 1885, JE),
India, Iran, Italy (Artaria s.n., 1897, JE), Kuwait,
and Switzerland (Pasquale s.n., Sept 1995, BM).

Illustrations. He & De Luna (2004, Fig. 1-8).

Selected specimens examined.

CHINA.

YUNAN: Dali Co., 25° 42´ N, 100° 07´ E, Redfearn, He & Su 1371 (FH, HKAS, MO, PE), 25° 28´N, 100° 28´ E, Redfearn, He & Su 1076, 1094 (both in FH, HKAS, MO, PE).

References:

Dalton, N.J., Kungu, E.M., Long, D.C. 2013. A taxonomic revision of Hedwigiaceae Schimp. from the Sino-Himalaya. J. Bryol. 35: 96-111.

Frahm, JP. 2013. The range of Braunia alopecura revised. Archive for Bryology 180, 5 pp.

Frahm, JP. 2013. The identity of Braunia alopecura (Brid.) Limpr. with Braunia secunda (Hook.) Bruch & Schimp.

He, S. & E. De Luna. 2004. The Genus Braunia (Bryopsida, Hedwigiaceae) in China. The Bryologist 107: 373–376.

Figure from Frahm (2014)

There are very nice pictures of Braunia alopecura at the website Swissbryophytes