Calciphilic Mosses

(Calcium Loving)

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Descriptions are based on Crum and Anderson (1981) and Crum (2004).

Anomodon attenuatus (Hedw.) Hüb.

It is a robust, yellow green pleurocarp of coarse texture forming rough mats. The branching is subpinnate with secondary branches often drooping and of different thicknesses, tapering towards the tip. The leaf margins are plane with acute tips.

A rough textured mat formed by A. attenuatus. Notice the different branch types, some are club shaped getting larger at the ends and others are tapered (attenuated).

Some microscopic characteristics include the pluripapillose leaf cells, a strong single costa, and a broadly decurrent leaf base.

This species is the most common member of the genus. It occurs on moist to dry limestone rocks in the sun or shade. It is also commonly found growing on the bases of trees in calcareous regions.

Anomodon minor (Hedw.) Fürnr.

This species is also a coarse pleurocarp. It forms brownish green smooth mats, which are in general smaller than A. attenuatus. The shoots are not much branched, but when branched they are slender and not at all pinnate and not much contorted when dry. The leaves are rounded, erect and imbricate.

Under a microscope the lingulate leaf tip is characteristic. The leaves are also decurrent.

This species is most common on tree bases, but can also be found on shaded moist rock.

Anomodon rugelii (C. Müll.) Keissl.

This species forms coarse dark-green rough mats. It has few secondary branching, but when present they appear to be pendant. The leaves are erect to wide spreading with rounded apices. It is contorted when dry, in contrast to A. minor.

Under magnification the broadly auriculate leaf bases are apparent. at base,

It is commonly found growing on tree trunks and may also be found on rocks.

Anomodon viticulosus (Hedw.) Hook. & Tayl.

This is large species of Anomodon. It forms coarse brownish-yellow rough mats. This species is not much branched. It resembles A. rugelii with its long, tapered, and acuminate leaf tips. The leaves are incurved and contorted when dry.

The long, mostly unbranched shoots of A. viticulosus.

Under the microscope the broadly decurrent leaf base is visible.

It is most often found growing on limestone cliffs.

Anomodon rostratus (Hedw.) Schimp.

This pleurocarp species forms short, dense, bright-green, smooth mats. The branches are short, terete, and most often stand upright. The leaves are quite crowded and have a distinct long hyaline hairpoint, which is visible in the field with a hand lens.

The short upright branches of A. rostratus.

It is most often found growing in moist shaded calcareous habitats. It commonly grows on rock and tree bases, but is also known to grow on soil.

Rhodobryum ontariense (Kindb.) Par. in Kindb.

This is the only local genus of dendroid moss in which the leaves form a terminal rosette. It is a relatively robust species with a reddish stem and large translucent, dark-green leaves.

The distinctive rosette of leaves which stands out against a backdrop of other bryophytes (Left) and an individual shoot with the rhizoids indicated by the arrow (Right).

With a handlens the highly toothed leaf tips are visible. The leaves are distinctly bordered and the margins are revolute.

This species is commonly found growing in the thin soil over calcareous rock, moist, shaded sites, most often mixed with several other species.

Encalypta procera Bruch

This species is a short acrocarp which has dull green translucent leaves which radiate around the stem and forms short turfs. The leaves long and spatulate, broader above the middle than at the base. The lower stem and leaf axils are often brown and felted with radicles bearing brood bodies.

Shoots of E. procera demonstrating the distinctly spatulate leaves.

Under high magnification the papillae on the costa are visible along with the hyaline awn commonly found on the upper leaves.

This species is a calciphile found on shaded ledges.

Fissidens spp.

This acrocarp forms open turfs of varying heights depending on the species. The unbranched shoots are characteristically flattened and feather-like. The leaves are inserted on either side of the stem in two ranks. The leaves have an extra lamina which is known as the vaginant laminae and it forms a pocket in which the leaf above it can sit.

A shoot of Fissidens dubius, notice the vaginant lamina indicated by the arrows.

This genus is common on calcareous soils, or soil over rock, but may also be found on the base of trees.

Brachythecium oxycladon (Brid.) Jaeg.

This pleurocarpous species forms robust shiny yellow-green rough mats. It is irregularly branched, the branches being somewhat terete. The leaves are distinctly plicate with a strong costa. The capsules are short and brown.

Mats of B. oxycladon showing the shaggy appearance of a Brachythecium.

Under magnification it is possible to see the serrulations that are all around the leaf margin. The alar cells are sub-quadrate and opaque.

This species is found on shaded calcareous rock or soil.

Tortella tortuosa (Hedw.) Limpr.

This species is an acrocarp which forms yellow-green loose turfs or mounds. It is recognizable by the long linear leaf tips which twist like a corkscrew when dry and are wide spreading when moist.

A dry patch of T. tortuosa (Left) and the same patch shortly after wetting (Middle Left). Close-up of a shoot of T. tortuosa dry (Middle Right) and wet (Right).

Upon close examination it is apparent that the costa extends beyond the end of the leaf (excurrent) as a long apiculus.

This species is common on open calcareous rock or soil.

Tortula ruralis (Hedw.) Gaertn. et al.

This species is best recognized by its star-shaped appearance (when wet) with the leaves ending in long white hairpoints. It forms turfs, small to medium in stature which vary considerably in appearance between wet and dry conditions. When dry the tufts are brown to almost black and hoary, when wet they are reddish below and yellow to bright-green above. When dry the leaves are appressed, folded and twisted around the stems and when wet wide-spreading to squarrose recurved. Under magnification the red to brown costa is a striking character, the leaf margins are revolute and the cells are densely pluripapillose.

A patch of T. ruralis dry (Left), and the same patch 30 seconds after wetting (Middle Left), a close-up of T. ruralis showing the distinct white hair point (Middle Right), and a single leaf under magnification (Right).

This species is a calciphile which grows on soil or rock in dry exposed sites.

This species can be found throughout much of North America.

Orthotrichum anomalum Hedw.

This species forms blackish green, brittle cushion on rock. It is dull and radiculose at base. The yellow capsules are often present and are borne on short setae. The leaves are erect and crowded when dry and wide-spread when moist.

A cushion of O. anomalum dry (Left) and wet (Right).

Under high magnification the pluripapillose nature of the leaves is visible as well as the revolute margins.

This species is found on calcareous rock which is exposed.

Thuidium abietinum (Hedw.) Schimp in B.S.G.

= Abietinella abietina (Hedw.) Fleisch.

This species forms robust rough mats. The shoots are rigid, yellow to dark-green and wiry forming pinnate fronds. The branches are short and terete. The species looks very different wet and dry as the leaves are tightly appressed when dry and wide-spreading when wet.

Shoots of T. abietinum showing the sub-pinnate branching pattern and the distinct coloration (Left). Dry shoots showing the wiry appearance (Right).

Upon magnification the abundant paraphyllia along the stems are visible as well as the single papillae on the leaf cells.

This species is found growing on xeric calcareous rock or soil.

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All photos were taken by Keith C. Bowman

Last Updated March 3, 2006.