Ceratodon purpureus
Ceratodon purpureus subsp. conicus
ceratodon moss, fire-moss
(0.2–)1–3(–4) cm.
(0.2–)0.3–0.6(–3) cm.
crowded, erect-patent to contorted or somewhat crisped, rarely straight when dry, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, or triangular-lanceolate, 0.35–2.8 mm, margins recurved to near apex or rarely plane, irregularly serrate to uneven or smooth distally, apices acute to short-acuminate or, rarely, obtuse;
costa strong, sub-percurrent to excurrent, sometimes as a long, smooth awn, medial laminal cells (6.5–)8–12(–14) µm, cell walls even, usually of medium thickness, often somewhat thicker and rounded at the cell angles.
straight to slightly twisted when dry, usually forming a comal tuft, slightly spreading when wet, 0.6–1.2 mm, margins often entire;
costae long-excurrent as a smooth awn on many leaves, awns sometimes as long as leaf blade.
1–3(–4) cm, various shades of red, orange, or yellow.
yellow to yellow-orange.
oblong to long-cylindric, (1–)2–2.5(–3) mm, smooth to strongly sulcate when dry;
free to united at their nodes, finely papillose to spinulose-papillose, dark red and bordered to completely pale and absent borders.
usually slightly inclined to erect, usually straight, (0.8–)1–1.8(–2.2) mm, pale brown to yellow (golden) orange, smooth to sulcate when dry, usually weakly strumose.
(10–)11–14(–17) µm.
teeth faintly bordered to unbordered, usually with 5–9 articulations.
Ceratodon purpureus
Ceratodon purpureus subsp. conicus
Subspecies 4 (3 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies conicus is apparently widespread in some arid regions of western North America. J. S. Burley and N. M. Pritchard (1990) considered its status in North America to be uncertain. However, fertile collections, although uncommon, fit well within their concept. It appears to be widespread in the semi-arid steppe regions of central Washington and adjacent British Columbia. In these arid habitats, it is often admixed with other low-growing species (e.g., Bryum spp. and Didymodon spp.) as part of the biological crust community.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Plants usually of various shades of green to red-brown; seta red to dark brown; capsule inclined to horizontal, oblong to cylindric, strumose, deeply sulcate when dry, usually red to red-brown to purplish, occasionally light brown | subsp. purpureus |
1. Plants pale green to yellow-green to yellowish brown; seta pale yellow to yellow-orange, rarely reddish; capsule slightly inclined to erect, narrowly cylindric to cylindric, not or weakly strumose, smooth to sulcate when dry, usually pale brown to yellow (golden) -orange | → 2 |
2. Stems usually less than 0.5 cm; distal leaves relatively compact, straight to slightly twisted when dry, usually forming a comal tuft, slightly spreading when wet, 0.6-1.2 mm, margins often entire; costa long-excurrent as a smooth awn on many leaves, awns sometimes as long as leaf blade | subsp. conicus |
2. Stems usually greater than 1 cm; distal leaves more open, usually crisped when dry, not forming a comal tuft, spreading when wet, 1.2-1.8 mm, margins often toothed; costa percurrent to slightly excurrent | subsp. stenocarpus |
BC
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
Flora NW
MN Wildflowers
