The frequency of sexual reproduction in acrocarpous mosses collected in Pernambuco State, and subsequently deposited in the UFP Herbarium, was determined based on sporophyte production. Each voucher was observed under a dissecting microscope for recording the presence of the sporophyte and its developmental stage. The data obtained from literature was also registered. 770 voucher, distributed in 11 families and 59 species, were examined. 26 species have a monoecious reproductive system, 27 a dioicous one, and the six remaining ones have an unknown breeding system. The rate of fruiting specimens was higher in monoicous (3:1) than dioicous ones. Sporophytes were found in 88% of the best represented species. The frequency of fruiting specimens of dioicous species is either occasional or rare. The analysis of the developmental stages of sporophyte throughtout the year demonstrated that the production of sporophytes mainly occurs during the rainy season. Finally, humidity and self-fertilization play an important rule in the sexual reproduction of the acrocarpous mosses.
acrocarpous mosses; phenology; sporophyte; monoicous; dioicous