Montana Field Guide

Plants: Pleurocarpous (Vitt 1988). Growing in somewhat open to crowded mats, pale to dirty green, yellow (FNA 2014), deep brown below (Flowers 1973), somewhat glossy (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981); rhizoids small in number, not stoloniform (Flowers 1973). Stems prostrate, leafy, circular in X-section, somewhat erratic to pinnate, to 12 cm in length; possessing a central strand. Branches sometimes bowed a little, to 25 mm in length, leafy and round in X-section (FNA 2014), narrowing at the ends (Flowers 1973).

Leaves: Stem leaves upright, closely to loosely overlapping, slenderly deltoid and somewhat egg-shaped, widest a little above the base, strongly pleated longitudinally, slightly cupped, 1-2.2 mm in length, 0.4-1 mm in width; apex narrowing to form an acumen; base curved and extending down the stem; margins finely toothed nearly throughout, flat or turned back and downward in different locations; costa somewhat faint, extending 1/2 to 3/4 of the leaf length. Branch leaves smaller, not as wide (Flowers 1973) nor as strongly pleated as the stem leaves (FNA 2014).

Leaf Cells: Alar cells somewhat opaque (greyish) (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), fine-walled, nearly square, the alar area not obviously demarcated; basal cells same size or slightly larger than the alar cells, arranged in 3 tiers close to the costa (FNA 2014); upper cells long and narrow (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981).

This species is variable and may be hard to distinguish due to changes in leaf size to cell color and shape following disturbance from trampling or brief flooding (FNA 2014).

Exposed to somewhat shaded areas, soil and stones (FNA 2014); soil in dry coniferous forest (Elliott 2016). Elevation: 3-7550 feet (FNA 2014).

Dioicous. Seta 7-25 mm in length (FNA 2014), reddish. Capsule nearly upright to slanted a little, bowed (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), 2-2.6 mm in length (FNA 2014).