Campylopus introflexus
Campylopus pilifer
heath star moss
campylopus moss
4–6 mm, erect-patent when wet, appressed when dry, lanceolate, straight, with entire margins;
alar cells absent or formed by thin-walled, hyaline to reddish, inflated cells;
basal laminal cells hyaline, rectangular, thin-walled, extending higher at margins and forming a V-shaped area;
distal laminal cells incrassate, shortly rectangular to oblique, chlorophyllose;
costa filling 1/2–3/4 of leaf width, excurrent in a hyaline hair tip, which is conspicuously 90° reflexed, in transverse section showing adaxial hyalocysts and abaxial stereids, shortly lamellose at back with ribs 1–2 cells high.
4–7 mm, erect spreading or loosely appressed, lanceolate, ending in a straight, more or less long serrate hairpoint;
alar cells not differentiated or strongly developed, inflated, thin-walled, hyaline or reddish;
basal laminal cells hyaline, thin-walled, rectangular, forming a V-shaped area;
distal laminal cells oval to rhomboidal, ca. 2:1;
costa filling 1/2–3/4 of leaf width, excurrent in a hairpoint, in transverse section showing adaxial hyalocysts and abaxial groups of stereids, abaxially with lamellae 3–4 cells high.
7–12 mm, yellowish brown to brownish in age, often several sporophytes from the same plant, curved or sinuose.
often aggregated, about 5 mm, sinuose.
brown, 1.5 mm, slightly asymmetric and curved when empty.
1.5 mm, slightly asymmetric, furrowed when dry, brownish;
operculum rostrate.
ciliate at base.
fringed at base.
12–14 µm.
ca. 13 µm.
asexual reproduction occasionally by deciduous stem tips.
asexual reproduction occasionally by deciduous stem tips.
Campylopus introflexus
Campylopus pilifer
Campylopus introflexus occurs in masses in sand dunes along the west coast of North America and throughout the Southern Hemisphere. The species was introduced in Great Britain in 1942, and since the beginning of the 1970s has been aggressively spreading through Europe. It now ranges from Iceland to Spain and from Ireland to Poland. The first record in North America dates from August, 1975, and was made on a gravel roof of a building of Humboldt University, Arcata, California. The species is undoubtedly introduced in North America and is spreading here as rapidly as in Europe. The name C. introflexus was used previously for C. pilifer, thus all old references for C. introflexus in North America have to be referred to that species. Also, specimens of C. surinamensis and C. oerstedianus from North America were named as C. introflexus. Campylopus introflexus is easily recognized by the reflexed hair points. Female plants have terminal perichaetial buds. Problems may rarely arise with forms from shaded habitats, in which the hairpoints are absent or so short that they are not reflexed.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The distribution of Campylopus pilifer in tropical America, tropical Africa, and Sri Lanka (but not other parts of Asia) suggests a Gondwanaland origin, from where the species has extended its range into warmer parts of North America and southwestern Europe. Until 30 years ago this species was not distinguished from C. introflexus, and accordingly all old references from North America must be referred to C. pilifer. The true C. introflexus has been a neophyte in North America since 1975.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
CalFlora
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
LA Plants
