Ceratodon purpureus
Ceratodon purpureus subsp. stenocarpus
ceratodon moss, fire-moss
(0.2–)1–3(–4) cm.
(0.3–)0.6–1.4(–4) 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.
erect-patent to contorted or somewhat crisped when dry, rarely forming a comal tuft, patent to erect-patent to spreading when wet, 0.35–2.8 mm, distal margins usually toothed;
costae percurrent to slightly excurrent.
1–3(–4) cm, various shades of red, orange, or yellow.
pale 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.
slightly inclined to erect, usually arcuate, (1–)1.7–2.3(–3.7) mm, pale brown to yellow (golden) orange, smooth to sulcate when dry, weakly strumose to struma absent.
(10–)11–14(–17) µm.
teeth usually bordered, usually with 8–16 articulations.
Ceratodon purpureus
Ceratodon purpureus subsp. stenocarpus
Subspecies 4 (3 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
J. S. Burley and N. M. Pritchard (1990) noted that subsp. stenocarpus is mainly tropical to subtropical, and frequently at higher elevations within these regions, but also note its distribution in southwestern North America.
(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
CalFlora
