Author:
Qjure
Book:
Qjurious
Type:
Info
Chapter:
3-333.52.05
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
English: Sparse crane moss; Leaf moss; Springy turf-moss; Square goose neck moss.
German: Kranzmoos; Sparriges Kranzmoos.
Synonym: Hypnum squarrosum.
Name: Rhytidiadelphus means adelfós, brother, of Rhytidium; squarrosus rmeans right-angled, the leaves
Clades: Hylocomiaceae; Hypnales.
Region: Eurasia, North America, introduced to the Southern Hemisphere.
Habitat: common moss in lawns, unimproved or semi-improved calcareous grasslands; occasional in acid heathland, flushes, other wetlands; man-made habitats, lawns, golf courses, heavily grazed pastures; broad ecological tolerances.
Botany
Moss; most common moss; forming extensive, almost pure swards, mats of branching stems; quite pale green, varying under different conditions.
Stems: red; shoots have a starry appearance; 10 to 15 cm long.
Leaves: bent back at almost 90 degrees from the stem; 2 to 3 mm long; broad leaf base completely sheathes the red stem so that it is only visible through the leaves; lightly toothed margins; nerve short, double.
Capsules: rarely, but frequent in some areas of south Wales.