Montana Field Guide

Plants: Pleurocarpous, growing in expanding mats (Lawton 1971), soft to slightly firm, somewhat dull (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), green, seldom green with yellow tones. Stems 3-10 cm in length, not noticeably feathery (FNA 2014), creeping or bowing, frequently stoloniferous (Lawton 1971) with stems having small (differentiated) leaves and rhizoid-bearing tips (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), often the main stem of limited growth and dividing into branches (FNA 2014), possessing a central strand (FNA 2014); pseudoparaphyllia sometimes present (Lawton 1971); axillary hairs with a length of 4-5 cells. Branches seldom reaching 20 mm, the pinnate branches frequently forking into secondary branches (FNA 2014).

Stem Leaves: Spreading to about 45 degrees when dry, when moist (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981) typically spreading to 90 degrees (Lawton 1971), widely deltoid with a heart-shaped base, 0.7-1.4 mm in length, sometimes reaching 1.2 mm in width; base widely extending down the stem somewhat far; acumen lance-shaped (FNA 2014) and frequently twisted (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981); leaf edges flat, saw-toothed to or almost to the leaf bottom; costa often extending beyond mid-leaf (Lawton 1971), wide, nearly always with a dorsal spine at the end (FNA 2014).

Branch Leaves: Smaller and more slender than the stem leaves (FNA 2014), spreading to about 45 degrees (Lawton 1971), lance-shaped, occasionally with ovate tendencies, 1-2 mm in length (FNA 2014); base extending down the stem (Lawton 1971); dorsal surfaces of the costa and lamina more strongly dentate than in the stem leaves (FNA 2014), 3/4 or more of the leaf length. Stoloniferous leaves small and smooth or nearly so (Lawton 1971).

Leaf Cells: Stem leaf alar cells often transparent, short, and medial laminal cells longer above than at the base, occasionally with pitted walls. Branch leaf apical cells with length twice that of the width or more; alar cells square (Lawton 1971).

The similar Sciuro-hypnum starkei is autoicous (with sporophytes produced frequently) rather than dioicous, and often has a cone-shaped rather than long-beaked operculum as in Eurhynchium praelongum (FNA 2014).

Soil, stones, and decaying wood in damp (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981) to wetter areas in or close to forests. Ranging from low-lying areas to 8530 feet elevation (FNA 2014).

Dioicous (FNA 2014), with reproductive parts occurring on the stems. Perigonial leaves to 1.2 mm in length. Perichaetial leaves to 4 mm, the exterior leaves spreading about 90 degrees, the interior ones more upright; apices thread-like and finely saw-toothed (Lawton 1971). Seta very coarse, 15-25 mm tall, russet. Capsule russet, bowed, tilted to level (FNA 2014) or drooping (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), brown, the theca 2-2.5 mm in length (Lawton 1971); operculum beak long (FNA 2014); peristome allowing capsule mouth to open in low humidity. Calyptra lacking hair (FNA 2014).