Spore morphology of some Bruchiaceae species (Bryophyta) from Brazil

The spores of Bruchia uleana, B. uruguensis, Eobruchia bruchioides, Tremato don ambiguus, T. aureus, T. brevifolius, T. longicollis, T. reflexus, and T . vaginatus were studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. The spo re wall of the family Bruchiaceae includes sclerine (the distinction betwee n exine and perine may be difficult to define) and intine. The aperture may be surrounded or not by one or more rings of ornamentation elements. Two b asic types of spore were recognized: one characterized by a gemmoid surface and the other with elongated processes and two types of ornamentation in t he apertural region. The spores of the tawa studied support the separation of the Bruchiaceae from the Dicranaceae.