Montana Field Guide

Plants: Pleurocarpous, to 40 cm in length (FNA 2014), occasionally to 70 cm, often appearing “long and stringy” (Flowers 1973), shiny, red with golden tones (FNA 2014), olive green (Flowers 1973), deep green to green with golden tones, or brown (FNA 2014), the bottom part black (Flowers 1973). Stems irregularly branched (FNA 2014), the lower part of the stem becoming somewhat bare (Flowers 1973); tips of the stems and branches soft, swollen, narrowing to a point; central strand wanting; axillary hairs consisting of 6-10 cells, the first cell square and red (FNA 2014).

Leaves: Those of branches and stems alike, distant to closely-spaced (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), overlapping or flat against the stem when dry, upright or spreading a little when damp, in 3 vertical rows along the stem (FNA 2014) with those below more remote and spreading, those above more crowded, upright and overlapping (Flowers 1973), strongly folded longitudinally, curving from base to tip along the keel, 2-8 mm in length, egg-shaped, sometimes tending to oblong, seldom approaching circular, tapering to the acute to nearly obtuse and sometimes curved apex; base extending down the stem; leaf edges sometimes bent back and downward widely below on one side (FNA 2014) or sometimes both sides (Flowers 1973); costa absent or scarcely developed (FNA 2014).

Leaf Cells: Medical cells of the lamina long and slender, tapering at the ends, to long and narrowly diamond-shaped; alar cells oblong, swollen, the walls flaccid (FNA 2014).

Affixed to stones, small dead branches, tree and shrub roots and submerged in running water (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), also pools, swamps, flat area that flood; occurring from lowlands to about 10,826 feet elevation (FNA 2014).

Dioicous. Perigonia bud-like, the bracts about 1.3 mm. Perichaetial bracts to 3 mm with a broadly-angled apex. Seta short, 0.2-0.3 mm tall. Capsule 2-2.7 mm in length, hidden amongst the bracts to barely exposed, without stomata; operculum cone-shaped (FNA 2014); exostome teeth somewhat brown (Flowers 1973), 16, slender and frequently joined at the distal ends in pairs; endostome forming a trellis, the segments joined by crosswise bars throughout (perfect). Calyptra cone-shaped and shielding the upper end of the capsule, hairless (FNA 2014).