Montana Field Guide

Plants: Pleurocarpous, growing in open clumps, pale green or straw-colored. Stems upwardly inclined and sometimes bowed, frequently curved at the apices, appearing circular with their leaves in X-section, to 5 cm in length, possessing a central strand, the cortex brown; branches sometimes reaching 7 mm in length, a little more crowded with leaves than the stems, usually somewhat catkin-like(FNA 2014).

Stem Leaves: Somewhat crowded, upright, overlapping, or occasionally the distal portions of the leaves spreading to about 45 degrees, 1.2-2.2 mm in length, 0.5-1.1 mm in width, cupped, not or only weakly pleated, egg-shaped, with a short or long acumen; base widely extending well down the stem; margins finely saw-toothed, flat or curving back and downward near the attachment; costa a little over half to 3/4 the length of the leaf, the dorsal terminal spine lacking (FNA 2014).

Branch Leaves: Smaller and more slender than the stem leaves; margins faintly and finely saw-toothed, curved back and downward proximally on both sides; costa conspicuous (FNA 2014).

Leaf Cells: Laminal cells somewhat long and slender; basal cells adjacent to the costa egg-shaped to short and oblong, not as long as the laminal cells, arranged in 3 tiers; alar cells wider than the adjacent cells and with somewhat thick walls, the region opaque and distinct (FNA 2014).

The species is quite variable in size, and the laminal cells may vary greatly in length even within the same collection (FNA 2014).

Litter, well-decayed organic matter, mineral soil, shallow soil coating stone, and rotting wood; in forested mountains, sometimes alpine. Occurring from lowlands to 12,140 feet elevation (FNA 2014).

Autoicous, with fruit common. Seta 15-20 mm tall, roughened with papillae, sometimes only slightly rough, orangish. Capsule orange with red tones, 1.2-1.7 mm in length, russet, upwardly inclined, level, or drooping, sometimes longer capsules a little rounded on the upper side (FNA 2014).