The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

dicranoweisia moss, mountain pincushion, mountain thatch-moss

curly thatch-moss, dicranoweisia moss

Leaves

crisped and curled when dry, plane in many leaves, 2-stratose in distal 1/2, cells with longitudinal striolae in distal 1/2 of leaf; usually a few alar cells enlarged on margins, often colored.

crisped and incurved when dry, margins plane to narrowly incurved or recurved at middle, 1-stratose except on margins in distal half, cells smooth;

alar cells undifferentiated.

Capsule

without differentiated annulus;

peristome vertically striolate basally, weakly papillose distally.

with annulus of 1–3 rows of somewhat separating cells;

peristome smooth basally, papillose distally.

Specialized

asexual reproduction absent.

asexual reproduction frequent, multicellular gemmae frequent on abaxial surface of leaves.

Dicranoweisia crispula

Dicranoweisia cirrata

Phenology Capsules mature spring–early summer. Capsules mature late fall–winter.
Habitat Forming cushions on siliceous rock or gravel, occasionally epiphytic or epixylic Forming short turf or tufts on tree trunks and decorticated logs, rarely in rock crevices
Elevation 10-2000 m (0-6600 ft) 1-1900 m (0-6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; ME; MI; MT; NC; NH; NM; NV; OR; SD; TN; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NU; ON; QC; YT; Greenland; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; BC; Asia; n Africa
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Dicranoweisia crispula is an extremely variable species. In stature the plants vary 1–6 cm, while the leaf length varies 1–3.5 mm. The capsules vary considerably from cylindric to short-elliptic, with the length ranging 0.5–2 mm. The shape and sheathing of the perichaetial leaves is also variable. Although this species is autoicous, sex organs are often absent, especially in terrestrial plants, with sporophytes correspondingly infrequent. Differentiation of alar cells is often weak in North American material and the striolation can also be weak, and is best observed on cells adjacent to the costa. This species is widespread mainly at higher elevations in western North America, but sporadic in the eastern part of the continent, again occurring mainly at higher elevations.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 396. FNA vol. 27, p. 396.
Parent taxa Dicranaceae > Dicranoweisia Dicranaceae > Dicranoweisia
Sibling taxa
D. cirrata
D. crispula
Synonyms Weissia crispula, D. crispula var. compacta, D. contermina, D. roellii, Trichostomum alpinum, Weissia compacta Weissia cirrata
Name authority (Hedwig) Milde: Bryol. Siles., 49. (1869) (Hedwig) Lindberg: in C. Milde, Bryol. Siles., 49. (1869)
Web links