adapted from: Moss Flora of the Maritime Provinces. Robert R. Ireland. National Museum of Natural Sciences (Canada) & National Museums of Canada. (1982). Publications in botany. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/178709
Usage and notes at bottom.
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Jump to: PLEUROCARPOUS MOSSES - 109
1 -- Plants usually with 2 to several branches in fascicles, branches crowded at the stem apex forming a head-like tuft; leaf cells a network of chlorophyllose cells and large hyaline cells with microscopic pores and spiral bands; plants of hydric habitats -- Sphagnum [54] (p41)
1 -- Plants without branches in fascicles and leaf cells not a network of chlorophyllose and hyaline cells -- 2
2 -- Leaves distichous, appearing to be inserted edgewise giving the plants a flattened appearance, split in the lower half with the two halves clasping the stem -- Fissidens [8] (p100)
2 -- Leaves not distichous or if so, not split in the lower half -- 3
3 -- Plants apparently lacking leaves, consisting mostly of a large, conspicuous capsule, 5- 7 mm long, elevated on a long, warty seta -- Buxbaumia aphylla, minakatae (p655)
3 -- Plants usually with conspicuous leaves -- 4
4 -- Plants with a large, ovoid capsule and lacking a seta; capsule surrounded by bristle-tipped leaves -- Diphyscium foliosum (p657)
4 -- Plants usually with a small capsule and with a conspicuous seta or if lacking seta, capsule not ovoid nor surrounded by bristle-tipped leaves -- 5
5 -- Plants erect, small, stems less than 2 cm high, brown, reddish brown to black, rupestral; capsule eperistomate, opening most of its length by 4 longitudinal slits -- Andreaea rothii, rupestris (p96)
5 -- Plants otherwise; capsule peristomate or eperistomate, usually opening at the tip by an operculum, rarely by rupture of capsule wall -- 6
6 -- Plants whitish green, usually 3-6 cm high, in large, rounded cushions on the ground; leaves dense, imbricate, mostly tubulose, multistratose, many cells, especially near apex, with a large central pore (seen in cross-section) -- Leucobryum albidum, glaucum (p196)
6 -- Plants otherwise; leaf cells always lacking central pore -- 7
7 -- Plants with sterile, frondiform shoots, the leaves distichous, with confluent leaf bases, ecostate; rare -- Schistostega pennata (p112)
7 -- Plants lacking sterile, frondiform shoots with confluent leaf bases -- 8
8 -- Main stem of plant erect or nearly so, simple or with only a few branches; costa usually prominent, single; sporophyte arising from stem apex or a branch below: Acrocarps -- 9
8 -- Main stem prostrate, sometimes with erect tips, usually much branched, often pinnate, rarely simple or if so, the stems long and intertwined; costa often indistinct, single, double, or frequently lacking; sporophyte arising from main stem somewhere below tip: Pleurocarps -- 109
9 -- Peristome teeth 4 -- 10
9 -- Peristome teeth 8 or more -- 11
10 -- Gemmae cups (formed by apical leaves) present at tips of sterile shoots; peristome teeth 4; plants mainly on rotten wood; common -- Tetraphis geniculata, pellucida (p659)
10 -- Gemmae cups lacking; Peristome teeth 4; clusters of ecostate, linear-clavate vegetative leaves arising around fertile plants; plants on rock; rare -- Tetrodontium brownianum (p663)
11 -- Leaves with lamellae or branched filaments on upper surface -- 12
11 -- Leaves lacking lamellae or branched filaments -- 15
12 -- Leaves entire at apex, upper surface with branched filaments; rare -- Aloina rigida (p229)
12 -- Leaves toothed at apex, upper surface with lamellae -- 13
13 -- Lamellae few, less than 10; leaves undulate, crisped or contorted when dry, costa narrow; calyptra hispid at the apex -- Atrichum [6] (p665)
13 -- Lamellae numerous, more than 10; leaves rigid, not undulate, scarcely contorted when dry, costa broad; calyptra densely hairy -- 14
14 -- Lamellae with marginal cells smooth or minutely papillose (best seen in cross-section); capsules angled -- Polytrichum [8] (p682)
14 -- Lamellae with marginal cells papillose; capsules terete -- Pogonatum [4] (p675)
15 -- Leaves narrow, often subulate, 15-30 or more times as long as leaf width near middle; costa covering most of leaf near middle -- 16
15 -- Leaves broad, lanceolate, ovate, obovate or oblong, mostly less than 15 times as long as broad; costa covering only a small portion of leaf near middle -- 35
16 -- Leaves distichous, thereby giving gametophyte a noticeably flattened appearance -- Distichium capillaceum, inclinatum (p131)
16 -- Leaves in more than 2 rows, gametophyte not noticeably flattened -- 17
17 -- Capsules immersed, leaves extending far above its mouth; rare -- Pleuridium [3] (p114)
17 -- Capsules exserted, extending above the leaves -- 18
18 -- Plants very small, gametophyte seldom reaching 4 mm high -- 19
18 -- Plants larger, gametophyte mostly 4 mm high or more -- 21
19 -- Leaves squarrose from an enlarged base; plants on soil; rare -- Trichodon cylindricus (p125)
19 -- Leaves not squarrose, without enlarged base; plants on sandstone or limestone -- 20
20 -- Leaves strongly curled when dry, margins often bistratose above leaf middle; peristome teeth bifid, papillose; rare -- Campylostelium saxicola (p383)
20 -- Leaves straight or nearly so, margins unistratose; peristome teeth entire, smooth -- Seligeria [4] (p135)
21 -- Leaf cells papillose -- 22
21 -- Leaf cells smooth -- 27
22 -- Leaf cells with several papillae per cell -- 23
22 -- Leaf cells with 1 papilla per cell, sometimes present at the end of the cell -- 24
23 -- Leaves with plane, entire margins and a V-shaped region of hyaline, elongate, mostly smooth cells at base; leaf cells with nearly round, irregularly arranged papillae -- Tortella [3] (p213)
23 -- Leaves with recurved, serrate margins and lacking V-shaped region of differentiated basal cells; leaf cells with elongate papillae in rows often appearing as striations -- Plagiopus oederianus (p370)
24 -- Alar cells noticeably differentiated, often inflated and colored -- Dicranum [14] (p171)
24 -- Alar cells not noticeably differentiated -- 25
25 -- Leaf margin plane -- Kiaeria blytii, starkei (p167)
25 -- Leaf margins recurved -- 26
26 -- Leaves long, often 4-5 mm, strongly serrate, often doubly serrate on margins; capsules globose when wet -- Bartramia pomiformis (p372)
26 -- Leaves short, seldom reaching 4 mm, weakly serrate to serrulate with single teeth; capsules cylindric when wet -- Cynodontium alpestre, strumiferum (p158)
27 -- Alar cells noticeably differentiated, often inflated and colored -- 28
27 -- Alar cells not noticeably differentiated -- 30
28 -- Leaves entire to minutely denticulate; capsules short, nearly as broad as long -- Blindia acuta (p139)
28 -- Leaves serrate to serrulate; capsules long, much longer than broad -- 29
29 -- Costae broad, occupying about 213of leaf at the base and nearly all of the leaf near the middle, striate on dorsal surface -- Paraleucobryum longifolium (p194)
29 -- Costae narrow, occupying about 113of leaf at the base and usually less above, smooth or with 2-4 ridges on dorsal surface -- Dicranum [14] (p171)
30 -- Capsules distinctly narrowed at the neck, the neck nearly as long as the remainder of the urn (especially noticeable when dry) -- 31
30 -- Capsules not narrowed at neck -- 32
31 -- Capsules cylindric, erect to somewhat inclined -- Trematodon ambiguus (p142)
31 -- Capsules pyriform, horizontal to pendulous -- Leptobryum pyriforme (p306)
32 -- Leaves squarrose, with an enlarged base clasping the stem; capsules strumose; plants usually on wood -- Oncophorus wahlenbergii (p165)
32 -- Leaves not squarrose or if squarrose, without enlarged clasping base; capsules with or without struma; plants usually on soil or rock -- 33
33 -- Leaf margins strongly and broadly recurved, bistratose; apical leaf cells as long or nearly as long as broad; capsules erect, deeply furrowed when dry -- Cynodontium alpestre, strumiferum (p158)
33 -- Leaf margins plane, incurved, sometimes narrowly and indistinctly recurved, unistratose or bistratose; apical leaf cells longer than broad; capsules erect to inclined, smooth or with shallow furrows -- 34
34 -- Peristome teeth filiform, the teeth divided to the base and about the same size throughout, papillose -- Ditrichum [5] (p117)
34 -- Peristome teeth lanceolate, the teeth divided only halfway to base which is broader, vertically pitted-striolate below -- Dicranella [8] (p144)
35 -- Leaf cells papillose, mammillose or with cuticular ridges -- 36
35 -- Leaf cells smooth -- 66
36 -- Leaf cells with cuticular ridges or 1 papilla or mammilla per cell -- 37
36 -- Leaf cells with several papillae per cell -- 47
37 -- Alar cells strongly differentiated, inflated and often colored -- 38
37 -- Alar cells not noticeably differentiated -- 39
38 -- Leaf cells papillose or mammillose; plants dioicous -- Dicranum [14] (p171)
38 -- Leaf cells with cuticular ridges; plants autoicous -- Dicranoweisia crispula (p163)
39 -- Leaf margins entire -- 40
39 -- Leaf margins serrate -- 43
40 -- Leaves with plane margins, apex broad and obtuse -- Orthotrichum obtusifolium (p392)
40 -- Leaves with recurved margins, apex narrow and acute -- 41
41 -- Basal leaf cells thick-walled, strongly pitted; leaf margins unistratose; gemmae, when present, cylindric, in conspicuous rounded masses at leaf tips -- Ulota [4] (p401)
41 -- Basal leaf cells thin-walled, lacking pits or pits indistinct; leaf margins sometimes bistratose; gemmae, when present, globose, often concealed on stems and leaves -- 42
42 -- Costae covered by short cells on upper surface; axillary gemmae often present, globose, multicellular bodies -- Didymodon rigidulus (p220)
42 -- Costae covered by elongate cells on upper surface; gemmae lacking -- Barbula fallax (p223)
43 -- Apical leaf cells elongate, papillae small and near the end of the cells; capsules nearly as broad as long, narrowed at mouth -- Philonotis fontana, marchica (p374)
43 -- Apical leaf cells short, about as broad as long, papillae large and approximately in the center of the cells; capsules longer than broad, scarcely, if at all, narrowed at mouth -- 44
44 -- Leaf margins bistratose -- 45
44 -- Leaf margins unistratose -- 46
45 -- Leaves often hyaline-tipped near stem and branch apices; gemmae rarely present in globose clusters at tips of deformed leaves; capsules immersed -- Grimmia [8] (p244)
45 -- Leaves lacking hyaline tips; gemmae lacking; capsules exserted -- Cynodontium alpestre, strumiferum (p158)
46 -- Sterile stems often present bearing clusters of gemmae or brood bodies at the tip of a naked or nearly naked pseudopodium; capsules ribbed when dry; peristome double -- Aulacomnium [3] (p358)
46 -- Sterile stems without pseudopodia bearing gemmae; capsules smooth when dry; peristome single -- Dichodontium pellucidum (p161)
47 -- Leaf margins involute almost to apex -- 48
47 -- Leaf margins plane or recurved -- 50
48 -- Leaves ending in a long, hyaline hair-point; globose gemmae on the upper leaf surface; lacking sporophytes; plants on tree trunks -- Tortula [3] (p239)
48 -- Leaves lacking long hair-point and gemmae; sporophytes often present; plants on soil or soil over rock -- 49
49 -- Capsules immersed -- Astomum muhlenbergianum (p206)
49 -- Capsules exserted on a long seta -- Weissia controversa, hedwigii (p208)
50 -- Leaf cells with thick, strongly sinuose walls -- Racomitrium [5] (p257)
50 -- Leaf cells sometimes thick-walled but the walls not sinuose -- 51
51 -- Apical leaf cells elongate; capsules nearly as broad as long -- Philonotis fontana, marchica (p374)
51 -- Apical leaf cells short, about as broad as long; capsules longer than broad -- 52
52 -- Plants on trees, often several feet above ground, sometimes on rock, but not on soil; plants in small cushions or tufts, often rounded in outline -- 53
52 -- Plants on soil or rock, sometimes in rock crevices, occasionally on bases of trees; plants often in extensive tufts -- 55
53 -- Leaves with plane margins, basal cells nearly as long as broad; 3-7 celled clavate gemmae common in leaf axils; sporophytes rarely produced; plants on trees -- Zygodon conoideus, viridissimus (p385)
53 -- Leaves with recurved margins, basal cells much longer than broad; gemmae usually lacking; sporophytes frequently produced; plants on trees or rocks -- 54
54 -- Leaves with two types of cells at base, thick-walled, linear cells near costa and short cells with thick cross-walls along the margins; capsules with superficial stomata -- Ulota [4] (p401)
54 -- Leaves with only one type of cell at base and lacking differentiated cells along margins; capsules with superficial or immersed stomata -- Orthotrichum [6] (p392)
55 -- Leaves with a V-shaped region of hyaline, elongate, mostly smooth cells at base -- Tortella [3] (p213)
55 -- Leaves lacking V-shaped region of differentiated cells -- 56
56 -- Stems frequently with 1-several long branches; plants often in tight, compact tufts -- 57
56 -- Stems simple or sometimes with 1, rarely 2, short or long branches; plants scattered or in loose tufts -- 59
57 -- Leaves with a few distinct teeth near apex, margins strongly recurved; plants noticeably reddish below; peristome present, teeth very short -- Bryoerythrophyllum recurviostrum (p218)
57 -- Leaves entire or minutely serrulate at apex, margins plane or weakly recurved; plants not reddish below; peristome lacking -- 58
58 -- Papillae elliptic or oval on basal leaf cells, numerous, usually 4-8 per cell; capsules immersed to somewhat exserted -- Amphidium lapponicum, mougeotii (p389)
58 -- Papillae round on basal leaf cells, few, 2-4 per cell, sometimes lacking; capsules exserted on a long seta -- Gymnostomum aeruginosum, recurviostrum (p202)
59 -- Plants with filiform gemmae on stems -- Encalypta procer a (p199)
59 -- Plants lacking gemmae -- 60
60 -- Plants small, stems 2-4 mm high; capsules immersed -- Phascum cuspidatum (p227)
60 -- Plants with stems usually larger than 4 mm; capsules exserted -- 61
61 -- Leaves narrow, often over 5 times as long as wide, gradually narrowed to an acute apex, margins plane; plants not known to produce sporophytes in the Maritimes -- Oxystegus tenuirostre (p211)
61 -- Leaves broad, seldom 5 times as long as wide, often abruptly narrowed to a mucro or hair- point, margins recurved; sporophytes frequently present -- 62
62 -- Leaves with a toothed hair-point or a very long mucro; peristome teeth long and twisted -- Tortula [3] (p239)
62 -- Leaves with a short mucro or a blunt apex; peristome lacking or present, teeth short or long and twisted -- 63
63 -- Capsules lacking peristome -- Pottia truncata (p231)
63 -- Capsules with peristome -- 64
64 -- Calyptra mitrate, covering all or most of capsule, fringed at base; capsules erect, up to 3 mm long -- Encalypta ciliata, procera (p198)
64 -- Calyptra cucullate, covering only a portion of capsule, without fringed base; capsules erect to inclined, up to 2 mm long -- 65
65 -- Leaves with recurved margins nearly to apex, sometimes margins bordered with elongate, thick-walled cells, basal cells elongate and thin-walled; capsules erect or inclined, with short peristome teeth, rarely lacking teeth -- Desmatodon [4] (p233)
65 -- Leaves with plane margins in upper half, margins not bordered, basal cells short and thick-walled; capsules erect, with long, twisted teeth -- Barbula [3] (p222)
66 -- Leaves strongly squarrose-recurved, nearly as broad as long -- Paludella squarrosa (p363)
66 -- Leaves not squarrose-recurved or, if so, much longer than broad -- 67
67 -- Plants minute, scarcely reaching 2 mm high; capsules immersed; plants on bare soil -- Ephemerum serratum (p276)
67 -- Plants larger, usually over 2 mm high; capsules exserted or sometimes immersed; plants on various substrates -- 68
68 -- Leaf cells thick-walled and strongly sinuose-nodulose -- Racomitrium [5] (p257)
68 -- Leaf cells thin-walled or sometimes thick-walled but not sinuose -- 69
69 -- Leaves entire to minutely denticulate -- 70
69 -- Leaves serrulate to strongly toothed -- 84
70 -- Alar cells differentiated, often inflated and colored -- Blindia acuta (p139)
70 -- Alar cells not differentiated -- 71
71 -- Leaves with a distinct border of linear cells, often in several rows and layers, the walls usually thicker than the inner cells -- 72
71 -- Leaves not bordered or border indistinct -- 75
72 -- Leaves ovate, oblong, lingulate or spatulate, narrow, mostly less than 1 mm wide -- 73
72 -- Leaves obovate to rounded-ovate, broad, usually more than 1 mm wide -- 74
73 -- Leaves ovate to oblong-ovate or lanceolate, costa often long-excurrent; peristome double -- Bryum [16] (p308)
73 -- Leaves oblong to lingulate or spatulate, costa subpercurrent to short-excurrent; peristome single or lacking -- Desmatodon [4] (p233)
74 -- Leaves rounded or ending in a short, blunt mucro -- Rhizomnium [3] (p353)
74 -- Leaves acute, with a short mucro or apiculus -- Cyrtomnium hymenophylloides (p351)
75 -- Plants julaceous, leaves shiny, concave, nearly as broad as long -- 76
75 -- Plants not julaceous and leaves not shiny or, if so, leaves longer than broad -- 77
76 -- Plants yellowish green, leaves obtuse to broadly acute, apex plane, costa ending below apex to percurrent -- Pohlia filiformis (p288)
76 -- Plants whitish green above, pink or red below, leaves acuminate, apex reflexed, costa excurrent -- Plagiobryum zieri (p304)
77 -- Leaves with apical cells about as broad as long, thick-walled -- 78
77 -- Leaves with apical cells mostly longer than broad, thin-walled or rarely thick-walled -- 80
78 -- Main stem prostrate, with numerous erect branches; plants on tree trunks -- Drummondia prorepens (p407)
78 -- Main stem erect, branches few and also erect; plants on soil or rock -- 79
79 -- Capsules exserted on a long, straight seta; gemmae often present, globose, multicellular -- Didymodon rigidulus (p220)
79 -- Capsules immersed or exserted on a short, curved seta; gemmae lacking -- Grimmia [8] (p244)
80 -- Leaf apices obtuse, sometimes a few somewhat acute -- 81
80 -- Leaf apices acute -- 82
81 -- Leaves linear-lanceolate, narrowed at apex, costa percurrent to excurrent; capsules erect, without a distinct neck -- Ditrichum [5] (p118)
81 -- Leaves lingulate, scarcely narrowed at apex, costa ending below apex; capsules inclined above an erect neck -- Meesia uliginosa (p365)
82 -- Plants bulbiform; capsules on a flexuose seta, urn sulcate when dry -- Funaria hygrometrica (p274)
82 -- Plants not bulbiform; capsules on a straight seta, urn smooth when dry -- 83
83 -- Leaves concave, with a long, flexuose point; capsules cylindric, erect -- Tetraplodon mnioides (p280)
83 -- Leaves keeled, without flexuose point; capsules round to ovoid, pendulous -- Catoscopium nigritum (p368)
84 -- Leaves with a border of linear cells whose walls are usually thicker than the inner cells -- 85
84 -- Leaves lacking border -- 88
85 -- Leaf margins with teeth in pairs -- Mnium [5] (p334)
85 -- Leaf margins with single teeth, or margins serrate to serrulate -- 86
86 -- Median leaf cells mostly rounded or hexagonal, about as broad as long; leaf margins toothed; the teeth sometimes composed of several cells -- Plagiomnium (p342)
86 -- Median leaf cells rhomboidal, much longer than broad; leaf margins serrate to serrulate, sometimes nearly entire, rarely toothed -- 87
87 -- Plants large, leaves arranged in a terminal rosette, leaves up to 1 cm long; 1-5 sporophytes per plant -- Rhodobryum ontariense (p332)
87 -- Plants comparatively small, leaves seldom arranged in a terminal rosette, leaves up to 5 mm long; sporophytes solitary -- Bryum [16] (p308)
88 -- Apical leaf cells isodiametric -- 89
88 -- Apical leaf cells elongate -- 101
89 -- Alar cells strongly differentiated, inflated and often colored -- Dicranum [14] (p171)
89 -- Alar cells not noticeably differentiated -- 90
90 -- Leaves with an enlarged, sometimes orange, sheath that clasps stem, margins strongly incurved when dry; calyptra attached to seta just below capsule -- Timmia austriac, megapolitana (p380)
90 -- Leaves lacking sheath, margins not incurved; calyptra not attached to seta -- 91
91 -- Plants bluish green and glaucous due to a whitish granular or cottony substance on the leaves and stems -- Saelania glaucescens (p127)
91 -- Plants not glaucous -- 92
92 -- Leaves with large marginal teeth sometimes composed of several cells, most cells with a single, large indistinct papilla in the center -- Aulacomnium heterostichum (p358)
92 -- Leaves with small marginal teeth composed of a single cell -- 93
93 -- Leaves, especially the upper, with long, hyaline tips -- Grimmia [8] (p244)
93 -- Leaves lacking hyaline tips -- 94
94 -- Leaves in three distinct ranks, widely spreading to squarrose; setae long, often over 7 cm -- Meesia triquetra (p365)
94 -- Leaves not three-ranked or squarrose; setae short, seldom up to 3 cm -- 95
95 -- Leaf margins plane -- 96
95 -- Leaf margins recurved -- 99
96 -- Leaves narrow, about 0.5 mm wide -- 97
96 -- Leaves broad, mostly 1 mm wide -- 98
97 -- Leaves with a distinct region of hyaline cells at base that are much broader and longer than the cells above -- Rhabdoweisia crispata (p156)
97 -- Leaves lacking region of hyaline cells at base -- Kiaeria blytii, starkei (p167)
98 -- Costae red, leaves long-decurrent -- Mnium stellare (p335)
98 -- Costae green or yellow, leaves short-decurrent or nondecurrent -- Tayloria serrata (p278)
99 -- Costae percurrent to excurrent, often reddish, especially near the stem; leaf margins unistratose; setae purplish to red -- Ceratodon purpureus (p129)
99 -- Costae ending below apex and lacking reddish color; leaf margins bistratose or unistratose; setae yellow to brown -- 100
100 -- Leaf margins unistratose -- Rhabdoweisia crispata (p156)
100 -- Leaf margins bistratose -- Cynodontium alpestre, strumiferum (p158)
101 -- Alar cells strongly differentiated, inflated and often colored -- Dicranum [14] (p171)
101 -- Alar cells not strongly differentiated -- 102
102 -- Leaves widely spreading to squarrose -- Dicranella [8] (p144)
102 -- Leaves erect to somewhat spreading but not squarrose -- 103
103 -- Plants with 1-several, bulbiform or elongate gemmae in the leaf axils -- Pohlia [11] (p288)
103 -- Plants lacking gemmae -- 104
104 -- Leaves broadly elliptic with a broad apex ending in a short apiculus -- Pseudobryum cinclidioides (p349)
104 -- Leaves lanceolate to ovate or oblong and narrowed to an acute to acuminate apex -- 105
105 -- Leaves narrowed to a long, flexuose point, the margins with teeth sometimes composed of 2 cells; setae short, the leaves extending above the mouth of the capsule -- Tetraplodon angustatus (p280)
105 -- Leaves acute, the margins with teeth usually composed of 1 cell or occasionally of 2 cells; setae long, elevating capsule above upper leaves -- 106
106 -- Leaf cells narrow and mostly thick-walled, often 5-12 times as long as broad -- Pohlia [11] (p288)
106 -- Leaf cells broad and thin-walled, usually less than 5 times as long as broad -- 107
107 -- Leaves with costa extending to apex or nearly so, margins sometimes with multicellular teeth; neck of capsules often enlarged and brilliantly colored purple, red, or yellow -- Splachnum [3] (p283)
107 -- Leaves with costa ending several cells below apex, margins with single-celled teeth; neck of capsules not greatly expanded nor brilliantly colored -- 108
108 -- Capsules globose or pyriform, often urceolate when dry, lacking peristome; plants on soil -- Ptychomitrium [3] (p269)
108 -- Capsules cylindric, peristome present; plants on dung -- Tayloria serrata (p278)
109 -- Costae single -- 110
109 -- Costae double or lacking -- 154
110 -- Leaf cells thick-walled and strongly sinuose-nodulose -- Racomitrium [5] (p257)
110 -- Leaf cells thin to thick-walled but not strongly sinuose -- 111
111 -- Leaf cells papillose -- 112
111 -- Leaf cells smooth -- 126
112 -- Papillae formed by projecting cell ends (prorate) on dorsal leaf surface -- 113
112 -- Papillae over cell lumen -- 118
113 -- Alar cells abruptly inflated and enlarged -- Cratoneuron commutatum, filicinum (p504)
113 -- Alar cells not abruptly inflated or enlarged -- 114
114 -- Plants regularly pinnate to tripinnately branched, often frondose; stems and branches covered with numerous paraphyllia -- 115
114 -- Plants irregularly branched and never frondose; stems and branches lacking paraphyllia but pseudoparaphyllia sometimes present -- 116
115 -- Leaf margins strongly serrate to toothed -- Hylocomium pyrenaicum (p645)
115 -- Leaf margins entire to serrulate -- Helodium blandowii (p474)
116 -- Leaves strongly rugose and plicate -- Rhytidium rugosum (p638)
116 -- Leaves not rugose -- 117
117 -- Stems and branches julaceous, red; costae rarely extending to leaf middle; gemmae present, 2-4 celled ovoid or cylindric bodies -- Pterigynandrum filiforme (p445)
117 -- Stems and branches not julaceous, green or yellow; costae extending to leaf middle and above; gemmae lacking -- Bryhnia gramicolor, novae-angliae (p562)
118 -- Leaf cells with 1 papilla -- 119
118 -- Leaf cells with 2 or more papillae -- 124
119 -- Leaf margins ciliate -- Thelia hirtella (p447)
119 -- Leaf margins not ciliate (perichaetial leaves sometimes ciliate) -- 120
120 -- Paraphyllia filamentous, long and matted on stems, the cells elongate -- Helodium blandowii (p474)
120 -- Paraphyllia filamentous or foliose, short and not matted, the cells nearly isodiametric -- 121
121 -- Stems irregularly branched; paraphyllia few, not branched -- 122
121 -- Stems pinnately to tripinnately branched; paraphyllia numerous, often branched; capsules inclined to horizontal -- 123
122 -- Leaves acute, margins plane or narrowly recurved, median cells isodiametric; plants on trees and rotten logs -- Leskea polycarpa (p438)
122 -- Leaves acuminate, margins strongly recurved, median cells sometimes longer than wide; plants on rock -- Lescuraea patans (p443)
123 -- Plants small, stems seldom reaching 5 cm in length -- Haplocladium microphyllum, virginianum (p463)
123 -- Plants large, stems often over 5 cm long -- Thuidium [4] (p466)
124 -- Plants with paraphyllia -- Thuidium [4] (p466)
124 -- Plants lacking paraphyllia -- 125
125 -- Plants with lingulate leaf apices that are usually broken off -- Haplohymenium trist e (p449)
125 -- Plants with leaf apices not broken off -- Anomodon [4] (p451)
126 -- Leaves with a border of 3-5 rows of linear cells in 1-2 layers; plants on rocks in streams -- Sciaromium lescurii (p476)
126 -- Leaves lacking border of differentiated cells -- 127
127 -- Plants dendroid, connected by a subterranean, rhizome-like stem; filamentous paraphyllia present -- Climacium americanum, dendroides (p651)
127 -- Plants not dendroid; paraphyllia lacking or sometimes present but foliose -- 128
128 -- Plants complanate, leaves oblong-lingulate with a broadly rounded to abruptly acute apex -- Homalia trichomanoides (p432)
128 -- Plants not complanate or, if so, with lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate leaves narrowed to an acute to acuminate apex -- 129
129 -- Costae extending to apex or nearly so -- 130
129 -- Costae rarely extending 3/4 length of leaf -- 139
130 -- Stems bearing axillary clusters of brood branchlets at or near the apices; leaves smooth, costa excurrent as a slender acumen -- Leskeella nervosa (p441)
130 -- Stems lacking clusters of brood branchlets; leaves smooth or plicate, costa usually ending at or near apex, rarely excurrent -- 131
131 -- Alar cells abruptly inflated or enlarged -- 132
131 -- Alar cells quadrate to rectangular and not abruptly inflated or enlarged -- 134
132 -- Leaf apices broadly obtuse, nearly as broad as leaf near middle; plants in bogs, fens, swamps, wet depressions in woods and other wet habitats -- Calliergon [3] (p528)
132 -- Leaf apices acute or narrowly obtuse; plants of wet or dry habitats -- 133
133 -- Stems with foliose paraphyllia, sometimes few and difficult to see; median leaf cells short, seldom up to 6 times as long as broad -- Cratoneuron commutatum, filicinum (p504)
133 -- Stems lacking paraphyllia; median leaf cells long, often over 6 times as long as broad -- Drepanocladus [6] (p508)
134 -- Leaf margins serrulate to serrate from apex to middle or sometimes to base -- 135
134 -- Leaf margins entire to serrulate near apex, entire below -- 136
135 -- Leaves small, mostly l mm or less long; small, foliose to filamentous pseudoparaphyllia present; gemmae borne on leaves, filamentous -- Conardia compacta (p568)
135 -- Leaves large, usually l mm or more long; pseudoparaphyllia lacking or large and foliose; gemmae lacking -- Brachythecium [16] (p540)
136 -- Leaves in 3 rows, narrow, often subulate, 6 or more times as long as broad; capsules immersed -- Dichelyma capillaceum, pallescens (p425)
136 -- Leaves in more than 3 rows, broad, less than 6 times as long as broad; capsules exserted -- 137
137 -- Leaves entire, apical cells thick-walled and isodiametric; plants on tree trunks -- Drummondia prorepens (p407)
137 -- Leaves serrulate or sometimes entire, apical cells thin to thick-walled and elongate; plants on soil, rock, wood or bases of trees -- 138
138 -- Leaves with costa broad, scarcely narrowed near apex, basal cells mostly rectangular, rarely quadrate; plants usually occurring on rocks in or near water -- Hygroamblystegium fluviatile, tenax (p479)
138 -- Leaves with costa narrow, becoming narrower and indistinct near apex, basal cells mainly quadrate or shortly rectangular; plants on soil, wood, bases of trees but usually not on rocks in water -- Amblystegium varium (p483)
139 -- Plants very small, leaves seldom reaching 0.5 mm long, costa often short and indistinct; plants on wood -- Platydictya [3] (p491)
139 -- Plants small to large, leaves mostly l mm or more in length, costa long, often reaching 1/2 to 2/3 length of leaf, distinct; plants on various substrates -- 140
140 -- Median leaf cells short, mostly less than 6 times as long as wide -- 141
140 -- Median leaf cells long, usually 6-15 times as long as wide -- 145
141 -- Plants subdendroid to dendroid, leaves with margins coarsely and irregularly serrate, costa often with teeth on dorsal surface -- Thamnobryum alleghaniense (p434)
141 -- Plants not dendroid, leaves with margins entire to regularly serrate, costa without teeth on dorsal surface -- 142
142 -- Plants usually high up on trees in seepy knotholes or cracks; capsules erect and straight, strongly contracted below mouth when dry, peristome teeth reflexed when dry -- Anacamptodon splachnoides (p436)
142 -- Plants not on trees in seepy knotholes or cracks but sometimes on bases of trees; capsules inclined and arcuate, peristome teeth not reflexed when dry -- 143
143 -- Leaves with a somewhat channeled acumination, alar cells often inflated or enlarged, sometimes colored -- Campylium [6] (p495)
143 -- Leaves with a flat apex, alar cells not inflated and seldom enlarged -- 144
144 -- Leaves with margins entire to serrate in upper half, rarely serrate to base, alar regions often with quadrate to transversely rectangular cells -- Amblystegium serpens, varium (p483)
144 -- Leaves with margins serrulate to serrate nearly to base, alar regions with rectangular or sometimes quadrate cells -- Leptodictyum trichopodium (p487)
145 -- Plants somewhat julaceous, with concave leaves abruptly contracted to a long-filiform apex -- Cirriphyllum piliferum (p566)
145 -- Plants not with concave leaves that are abruptly contracted to a long-filiform apex -- 146
146 -- Leaves acute, sometimes nearly obtuse, strongly serrate to serrulate nearly to base, costa often ending in a tooth on the dorsal surface; opercula long-rostrate, arcuate -- 147
146 -- Leaves acuminate, rarely nearly acute, entire to serrate, costa usually smooth; opercula conic to short-rostrate, straight -- 148
147 -- Stems much branched, nearly pinnate; leaves long-decurrent; rare -- Stokesiella praelonga (p575)
147 -- Stems with few branches; leaves nondecurrent or short-decurrent -- Eurhynchium [3] (p570)
148 -- Plants regularly branched, large, up to 10 cm high, stems densely tomentose with brown rhizoids almost to apex, leaves strongly plicate, nearly straight; plants in bogs or fens -- Tomentypnum nitens (p535)
148 -- Plants mostly irregularly branched, lacking dense tomentum, leaves smooth or plicate, sometimes falcate; plants in various habitats -- 149
149 -- Leaves acute to acuminate, falcate-secund, especially near stem and branch tips; alar cells often inflated; plants in extremely wet habitats, mainly bogs, fens, swamps, and lakes -- Drepanocladus [6] (p508)
149 -- Leaves acute to narrowly obtuse, straight or sometimes falcate, but not secund; alar cells gradually enlarged, rarely somewhat inflated -- 150
150 -- Leaves narrowly obtuse, margins usually with a few serrulations at the apex; plants on rocks in or near streams and creeks -- Hygrohypnum [6] (p517)
150 -- Leaves acute, margins entire or serrulate to serrate nearly to base -- 151
151 -- Leaves entire -- 152
151 -- Leaves serrulate to serrate -- 153
152 -- Leaves smooth, margins plane, alar cells elongate; plants in wet habitats -- Leptodictyum trichopodium (p487)
152 -- Leaves plicate, margins often recurved at base, alar cells quadrate; plants in dry habitats -- Brachythecium albicans (p543)
153 -- Plants with numerous attenuate branches, leaves smooth, with irregularly serrate margins and numerous round, thick-walled alar cells -- Isothecium eumyosuroides (p538)
153 -- Plants rarely with attenuate branches, leaves often plicate, with regularly serrate margins and quadrate to rectangular, thin-walled alar cells -- Brachythecium [16] (p540)
154 -- Stems and branches covered with numerous paraphyllia; plants often bi- or tri-pinnately branched, frequently frondose -- Hylocomium [4] (p645)
154 -- Stems and branches lacking paraphyllia but pseudoparaphyllia sometimes present -- 155
155 -- Leaf cells papillose -- 156
155 -- Leaf cells smooth -- 162
156 -- Leaf cells with 1-2 papillae over the lumen -- 157
156 -- Leaf cells prorate on dorsal surface -- 158
157 -- Leaf cells with 1-2 papillae per cell; plants large, leaves with a hyaline apex, 1-2 mm long, perichaetial leaves ciliate; plants on noncalcareous rock -- Hedwigia ciliata (p409)
157 -- Leaf cells with 1 papilla per cell; plants small, leaves without a hyaline apex, up to 0.5 mm long, perichaetial leaves lacking cilia; plants on calcareous rock -- Myurella sibirica (p458)
158 -- Plants irregularly branched, stems and branches julaceous, slender, seldom up to 0.5 mm wide -- 159
158 -- Plants mostly regularly branched, stems not julaceous, branches sometimes julaceous, mostly over 0.5 mm wide -- 160
159 -- Leaves loosely imbricate, apices spreading when dry, elliptic to broadly ovate, usually longer than broad, costa distinct, sometimes reaching 1/4 length of leaf; gemmae present, 2-4 celled ovoid or cylindric bodies -- Pterigynandrum filiforme (p445)
159 -- Leaves tightly imbricate, apices erect when dry, rounded to rounded ovate, often as long as broad, costa faint, seldom reaching but a few cells up leaf; gemmae lacking -- Myurella julacea (p457)
160 -- Stem and branch leaves different, stem leaves acuminate, spreading to squarrose, branch leaves acute to rounded, imbricate and julaceous -- Heterocladium dimorphum (p461)
160 -- Stem and branch leaves similar except in size -- 161
161 -- Plants large, stems up to 15 cm long, leaves often 5 mm long or longer -- Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus (p641)
161 -- Plants small, stems up to 6 cm long, leaves mostly 2 mm long, rarely longer -- Ctenidium molluscum (p634)
162 -- Plants on rocks submerged in flowing water or on rocks protruding from water or beside water -- 163
162 -- Plants not usually aquatic or semi-aquatic, occurring on rock, wood, humus or rarely soil -- 164
163 -- Plants small, stems up to 5 cm long, leaves in more than 3 rows, often as wide as long, costa usually distinct -- Hygrohypnum [6] (p517)
163 -- Plants large, stems usually more than 5 cm long, sometimes up to 20 cm, leaves in 3 rows, usually longer than wide, costa lacking -- Fontinalis [6] (p415)
164 -- Median leaf cells short, mostly less than 6 times as long as wide -- 165
164 -- Median leaf cells long, usually 6 or more times as long as wide -- 169
165 -- Plants large, leaves usually 1-2 mm long -- Leucodon brachypus, andrewianus (p411)
165 -- Plants small, leaves usually less than 1 mm long -- 166
166 -- Plants julaceous -- Myurella julacea (p457)
166 -- Plants not julaceous -- 167
167 -- Leaves squarrose -- Campylium hispidulum (p496)
167 -- Leaves not squarrose -- 168
168 -- Leaves falcate-secund, stems often subpinnately to pinnately branched -- Hypnum [8] (p605)
168 -- Leaves straight or somewhat curved but not falcate-secund, stems simple or with a few branches -- Platydictya [3] (p491)
169 -- Alar cells enlarged and inflated, often orange -- 170
169 -- Alar cells not enlarged or inflated -- 182
170 -- Leaves serrate to serrulate throughout -- Herzogiella striatella (p631)
170 -- Leaves entire or sometimes serrate only at apex -- 171
171 -- Plants pinnately to subpinnately branched, leaves close, imbricate, stem leaves apiculate -- 172
171 -- Plants irregularly branched; stem leaves not apiculate -- 173
172 -- Stems red, epidermal cells small and thick-walled in cross-section; alar cells orange -- Pleurozium schreberi (p579)
172 -- Stems green to yellowish green, epidermal cells large and thin-walled in cross-section; alar cells hyaline or yellow -- Calliergonella cuspidata (p533)
173 -- Plants large, stems often 10 cm long, leaves strongly concave, falcate, irregularly wrinkled -- Scorpidium scorpoides (p526)
173 -- Plants small, stems seldom up to 8 cm long, leaves flat or slightly concave, straight or falcate, smooth -- 174
174 -- Leaves cordate-ovate, spreading to squarrose -- Campylium stellatum (p496)
174 -- Leaves not cordate-ovate, usually oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate -- 175
175 -- Leaves falcate-secund, the tips turned toward the substrate -- 176
175 -- Leaves not or rarely falcate-secund (sometimes only at tips of stems and branches) -- 177
176 -- Stems with short, filamentous pseudoparaphyllia -- Brotherella recurvans (p588)
176 -- Stems with foliose pseudoparaphyllia or lacking pseudoparaphyllia -- Hypnum [8] (p605)
177 -- Alar cells usually colored yellow, orange or reddish -- 178
177 -- Alar cells hyaline and not colored -- 180
178 -- Stem and branch tips with clusters of axillary brood branches -- Platygyrium repens (p593)
178 -- Stems and branches lacking brood branches -- 179
179 -- Stems with narrowly lanceolate, foliose pseudoparaphyllia; capsules long, usually 2 mm or more in length, exothecial cells noncollenchymatous; common -- Callicladium haldanianum (p603)
179 -- Stems lacking pseudoparaphyllia; capsules short, seldom reaching 2 mm long, exothecial cells collenchymatous; rare -- Sematophyllum demissum, marylandicum (p590)
180 -- Leaves long-decurrent, margins recurved -- Plagiothecium denticulatum (p583)
180 -- Leaves not or shortly decurrent, margins plane or incurved -- 181
181 -- Leaves falcate-secund; stems irregularly branched, branches few, seldom complanate -- Hypnum [8] (p605)
181 -- Leaves not falcate-secund or only at tips of stems and branches; stems pinnately branched or with many branches, somewhat complanate -- Callicladium haldanianum (p603)
182 -- Plants large, stems often red, 10 cm long or more, pinnately or subpinnately branched -- 183
182 -- Plants small to medium-sized, stems green or sometimes red, usually less than 7 cm long, irregularly branched or sometimes pinnately branched -- 184
183 -- Plants pinnately branched with numerous, close branches, stems yellow, green or brown, leaves strongly falcate-secund, plicate -- Ptilium crista-castrensis (p636)
183 -- Plants pinnately to subpinnately branched with distant branches, stems red, leaves falcate secund or squarrose, smooth or plicate -- Rhytidiadelphus [3] (p640)
184 -- Plants complanate, leaves strongly undulate; capsules immersed; plants on tree trunks -- Neckera complanata, pennata (p428)
184 -- Plants not complanate or if so, leaves not strongly undulate; capsules exserted -- 185
185 -- Leaves falcate-secund; stems often pinnately branched; capsules arcuate, sometimes straight, contracted under mouth when dry -- Hypnum [8] (p605)
185 -- Leaves straight or falcate but rarely falcate-secund; stems irregularly branched; capsules straight or rarely arcuate, sometimes contracted under mouth when dry -- 186
186 -- Plants small, leaves less than 1 mm long -- Homomallium adnatum (p601)
186 -- Plants medium-sized, leaves 1 mm long or more -- 187
187 -- Outer layer of stem cells large and thin-walled (best seen in cross-section) -- 188
187 -- Outer layers of stem cells small and thick-walled -- 189
188 -- Leaves entire to serrulate; minute, axillary gemmae sometimes present; capsules smooth or with a wrinkled neck -- Isopterygiopsis muelleriana (p621)
188 -- Leaves serrulate to serrate; gemmae lacking; capsules striate -- Herzogiella turfacea (p630)
189 -- Stem and branch tips with clusters of brood bodies (branchlets) in leaf axils -- 190
189 -- Stems and branches lacking brood bodies -- 192
190 -- Leaf margins serrate near apex; plants on soil -- Isopterygium [5] (p620)
190 -- Leaf margins entire or minutely serrulate; plants usually on wood -- 191
191 -- Median cells thick-walled, pitted, several rows of rounded, quadrate, or rectangular cells at base -- Leucodon brachypus (p411)
191 -- Median cells thin-walled, not pitted, few quadrate to rectangular cells at base -- Platygyrium repens (p593)
192 -- Alar cells quadrate, 5 or more on margins of some leaves, often numerous and in several rows -- 193
192 -- Alar cells mostly elongate, sometimes 2-3 quadrate cells in marginal row -- 196
193 -- Stems with numerous, short, crowded branches that are usually curved when dry; plants on tree trunks -- Pylaisiella [3] (p596)
193 -- Stems lacking numerous short branches; plants on bases of trees or soil over rock -- 194
194 -- Leaf margins serrate to serrulate throughout; foliose pseudoparaphyllia present -- Taxiphyllum deplanatum (p628)
194 -- Leaf margins entire to serrulate near apex; pseudoparaphyllia present or lacking -- 195
195 -- Plants complanate, many leaves rounded and apiculate; conspicuous foliose pseudoparaphyllia present; rare -- Neckera complanata (p429)
195 -- Plants terete, leaves long-acuminate; pseudoparaphyllia lacking or inconspicuous -- Entodon brevisetus (p577)
196 -- Plants complanate -- 197
196 -- Plants not complanate -- 198
197 -- Leaves decurrent, narrowed to an acute to acuminate apex; pseudoparaphyllia lacking; common -- Plagiothecium [4] (p581)
197 -- Leaves nondecurrent, many leaves rounded and apiculate at apex; foliose pseudoparaphyllia present; rare -- Neckera complanata (p429)
198 -- Stems with numerous, short, crowded branches that are usually curved when dry; plants on tree trunks; common -- Pylaisiella [3] (p596)
198 -- Stems lacking numerous short branches; plants on soil or soil over rock -- Isopterygium [5] (p620)
adapted from: Moss Flora of the Maritime Provinces. Robert R. Ireland. National Museum of Natural Sciences (Canada) & National Museums of Canada. (1982). Publications in botany. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/178709
If more than 2 species exist, they are not listed but the number of species in the original text is noted in brackets. Keys to species of larger genera are located HERE.
The page number listed after the genus or species is the page in the original text.
No attempt has been made to update species listed nor to update nomenclature in this version.
Errors or improvements? Email Jeff at info@DigitalNaturalist.info.
last update 2025-May-24