Montana Field Guide

Plants: Pleurocarpous (Vitt 1988), growing in open mats (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), somewhat rough, to 20 cm in length (FNA 2014), green or green with yellow tones (Lawton 1971), deeply- or brightly-colored (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981). Stems creeping or ascending (Lawton 1971), main stems growing indefinitely with perichaetia and perigonia lateral, erratically- to equally-pinnate; branches sometimes reaching 25 mm in length (FNA 2014), frequently bowed and curving downward (Crum and Anderson et al 1981); paraphyllia lacking; pseudoparaphyllia leaf-like (FNA 2014).

Stem Leaves: Closely spaced, creating rosettes, near the stem and branch ends (Lawton 1971), spreading broadly to upright, wet or dry (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), not all pointing in one direction, 3.2-4.9 mm in length, sometimes reaching 2.5 mm in width, pleated below, deltoid and with ovate tendencies from a heart-shaped base that hugs the stem, tapering slowly to a wide acumen; acumen plane, occasionally transversely wavy (FNA 2014); leaf edges flat, with numerous serrations above, the serrations finer and more distantly-spaced from about mid-leaf to the base (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981); costa double, about half to less than 3/4 of the leaf length (FNA 2014).

Branch Leaves: Egg- to lance-shaped, shorter (to 3.1 mm in length) and narrower than the stem leaves (FNA 2014).

Leaf Cells: Distal cells oblong and very slender to linear, roughly-toothed or papillose abaxially and with scattered, more delicate papillae adaxially, in both cases from protruding cell ends (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981), longer and narrower than the basal cells, the walls a little porose; basal laminal cells frequently with some color, porose and with thicker walls than the medial cells (Lawton 1971); alar cells only a little distinct from adjacent cells (FNA 2014).

The robust double costa and sizeable papillae formed by the projecting cell ends are diagnostically helpful (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981).

Soil, organic soil, decayed organic matter (FNA 2014), litter (Lawton 1971), not as common on stone and rotting wood, in evergreen forests (FNA 2014) and often in open areas of woods (Crum and Anderson et al. 1981). Occurring from lowlands to 6560 feet (FNA 2014).

Dioicous with female plants resembling male plants. Perigonia sometimes brownish. Seta 25-40 mm tall (Lawton 1971), smooth. Capsule level, sometimes reaching 3.5 mm in length (FNA 2014), russet, creased or pleated when dry; exostome russet (Lawton 1971) with transverse fine lines or a network of them below; endostome processes with wide openings on the keel. Calyptra draping, cowl-like, smooth and hairless (FNA 2014).