Taxonomy
Family: Orthotrichaceae
Habitat
Epiphytic, growing on the bark of trees; usually in coniferous swamps.
Associates
Distribution
Newfoundland west to WI, south to TN and GA. Also in southeastern AK, Asia, Europe, North Africa and the Canary Islands.
Morphology
Autoicous, green, yellow-green, or yellow-brown moss. Leaves erect and strongly curled when dry, erect-spreading when moist, 2-3 mm long; costa ending near the apex; upper cells rounded-quadrate or elliptic, unipappilose on both sides. Capsules plicate, 1.5-2 mm long, oblong-cylindric with a long tapered neck, strongly 8-ribbed, stomata superficial and restricted to the neck of the capsule; calyptra densely pilose.
Notes
Wetland indicator: NA
Mosses in this genus are similar to those of Orthotrichum but have leaves bordered at the base by one to several rows of pale, short cells with thickened cross walls. The leaves of Orthotrichum spp. are not bordered at the base.
References
Crum, H. 2004. Mosses of the Great Lakes Forest, 4th ed.
The University of Michigan Herbarium. Ann Arbor, MI
Michael Hough © 2009 |