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Ceratodon purpureus - (image 1 of 5)

Taxonomy

Family: Ditrichaceae

Habitat

Dry, sunny, disturbed areas including recently burned sites and sea cliffs where birds roost. Sterile soil, on rock or old wood, old roofs, sometimes in areas high in nitrogen. 

Associates

This specimen was growing with Bryum argenteum on some gravel at a sewage treatment plant.

Distribution

Cosmopolitan, becoming less frequent in the tropics.

Morphology

Small, tufted moss to 2.5 cm high. Leaves about 2 mm long, laceolate, gradually acuminate, sometimes awned, keeled, the margins strongly reflexed or revolute to the tip; upper cells thick-walled, squarish, and smooth, the lower ones short-rectangular. Dioicous, with the perichaetial (female) leaves differentiated and sheathing. Setae red-purple, erect, elongate; capsules exserted, to 2 mm long, inclined to horizontal, asymmetric; operculum conic, to 0.5 mm long; perisitome teeth lanceolate, split to the base into two terete (rounded) divisions; calyptra smooth and cucculate (conic and split on one side).

Notes

The prefix "cerato" means horned, referring to the forked peristome teeth. 

References

Crum, H. 2004. Mosses of the Great Lakes Forest, 4th ed.

The University of Michigan Herbarium. Ann Arbor, MI

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