Riccia californica Austin

Riccia californica Aust. Bull. Torrey Club 6: 46. 1875
Thalli medium-sized, forming rosettes 8-18 mm. in diameter, light-green, glaucescent, and reticulate above, concolorous below; main segments 1-3 times dichotomous, subquadrate or oblong-obcuneate, 1-2 mm. wide; terminal segments short-oblong or obovate, the apex obtuse, sub truncate or retuse; margins commonly obtuse, elevated and somewhat tumid when young, bearing toward the apex few or numerous, mostly slender and taper-pointed, rather rigid, occasionally uncinate, minutely granulate cilia 150-400 m long, these sometimes occuring sparingly also on the dorsal surface or now and then wholly deficient ; median sulcus, broad and obtuse except at apex, vanishing toward base; scales rudimentary and inconspicuous; transverse sections canaliculate-elliptic, becoming parabolic toward the base, 2-5 times as broad as high, 15-25 cells thick in median parts, the ventral outline more or less convex or nearly rectilinear; dorsal epidermis 2-stratose, the cells of the primary stratum hemispheric, ellipsoid, or papilliform, soon collapsing and leaving imperfect cups or irregular vestiges, the cells of the succeeding stratum 40-80 11 broad, commonly broader than high. Monoicous; antheridial ostioles very slightly or not at all elevated; capsules long included; spores brown, finally darkening , 65-90 ju in maximum diameter, angular, with a smooth, irregularly crenulate margin 3-12 /x wide, the outer face areolate, showing in profile obtuse or truncate papillae 2-4 M long or less, the areolae mostly 6-10 ju wide, the inner faces similarly but less strongly marked.
Type locaIvITy: California.
Distribution: California.