Calymperes tahitense Mitten 1868

The dark coarse plants of Calymperes tahitense are usually very distinctive and easy to recognize in the field. Although similar in some respects to C. afzelii, plants of C. tahitense are distinct in their size, large, marginal or nearly so teniolae, coarse teeth toward the leaf tips, and distal cells of the cancellinae interfingering among cells of the upper laminae.

Plants robust, dark green, blackish proximally, in tufts and cushions. Stems elongate, often forked; rhizoids glossy dark red. Leaves monomorphic, somewhat curled-contorted when dry, straight and erect-spreading when wet, oblong-lanceolate to broadly linear above somewhat or not broader base, mostly 5–7 mm long, axillary hairs inconspicuous; costa extended beyond broad portion of upper laminae, with narrow, revolute, lateral wings of laminae as in C. afzelii; cells of upper laminae isodiametric, small, obscure, smooth abaxially, bulging adaxially; margins strongly thickened distally, inconspicuously toothed proximally, coarsely toothed distally, teniolae very conspicuous, often marginal or nearly so at shoulders; cancellinae broad distally, their distal cells characteristically interfingering among adjacent green cells of upper laminae. Gemmae common, borne adaxially on modified club-like tip of costa. Sporophytes not seen.

Distribution: China, Andamans, Malaysia, Australia, Oceania, and eastern tropical Africa.

Habitat: rare, but locally common and abundant on tree trunks, roots, and rocks in low shaded humid forests along streams; 70–180 m.