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

orthotrichum moss, rock bristle-moss

elegant lanceolateleaf rock moss

Habit Plants (1–)3–12.5 cm, light green to olive green. Plants 0.5–2.2 cm.
Stem

leaves stiff, erect-appressed when dry, narrowly lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 2–4.5 mm;

margins recurved to narrowly revolute to near apex, entire;

apex sharply to slenderly acute;

basal laminal cells elongate to rectangular, walls thick, ± nodose;

distal cells 6–13 µm, 1-stratose, papillae 1 or 2 per cell, conic and small, or 2-fid and low.

leaves stiffly flexuose when dry, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 2.3–3 mm;

margins strongly revolute nearly to apex, entire;

apex broadly acuminate to acute;

basal laminal cells elongate, walls thick, nodose;

distal cells 8–10 µm, 1-stratose, papillae 1 or 2 per cell, conic, small.

Seta

to 1.8 mm.

1–2 mm.

Sexual condition

gonioautoicous.

autoicous.

Capsule

immersed, emergent, or slightly exserted, usually 1/3 emergent, globose ovate, ovate-oblong, or short-oblong, 1.3–1.8 mm, slightly or distinctly 8-ribbed 1/2–2/3 length;

stomata superficial;

peristome single, rarely double;

prostome large, conspicuous, or rudimentary;

exostome teeth 16, erect or sometimes spreading-recurved when old, smooth, scattered-papillose, or coarsely papillose-granulate;

endostome segments absent, or rarely 8, rudimentary, of 1 row of cells, smooth or roughened.

emergent to sometimes short-exserted, narrowly to fusiform-cylindric, 1.3–2 mm, smooth;

stomata superficial;

peristome double;

prostome absent;

exostome teeth 8, separate to base, recurved, acute, coarsely papillose;

endostome segments 8, well developed, usually present when capsule is old and dry, thick, stout, of 2 rows of cells, narrower than exostome teeth, yellowish brown, coarsely papillose.

Calyptra

oblong, smooth, hairy or rarely naked, hairs finely papillose.

conic-oblong, smooth, sparsely hairy, hairs finely papillose.

Spores

13–21 µm.

13–26 µm.

Specialized

asexual reproduction absent.

asexual reproduction absent.

Orthotrichum rupestre

Orthotrichum elegans

Habitat Non-calcareous boulders and cliff faces in mesic areas of pine, spruce-fir, or aspen forests, base of trees, subalpine shade Deciduous trees, especially Populus, conifers
Elevation low to high elevations (100-3000 m) (low to high elevations (300-9800 ft)) moderate elevations (200-1000 m) (moderate elevations (700-3300 ft))
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; NU; ON; YT; South America; e Africa; Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Atlantic Islands (Canary Islands); Greenland; n Africa; e Asia (Japan); Europe; Australia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AK; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VT; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; Europe; Asia
Discussion

In typical form, Orthotrichum rupestre is characterized as much-branched plants in loose tufts with lanceolate leaves, apex narrowly and bluntly acute, basal cells elongate, thick-walled, and nodose, yellowish in older leaves, capsule oblong, emergent, 8-ribbed to mid capsule when old and dry, smooth or slightly 8-ribbed when mature, exostome of 16 erect teeth, coarsely papillose, and calyptra with abundant, spinulose, papillose hairs, some of which extend over the beak.

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

The small plants of Orthotrichum elegans in rather compact tufts are quite different from the larger, loosely tufted plants of O. speciosum. Orthotrichum elegans also has fusiform-cylindric, totally smooth, and emergent to short-exserted capsules, while O. speciosum has long-cylindric, generally slightly 8-ribbed, fully exserted capsules.

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

Source FNA vol. 28, p. 65. FNA vol. 28, p. 54.
Parent taxa Orthotrichaceae > Orthotrichum Orthotrichaceae > Orthotrichum
Sibling taxa
O. affine, O. alpestre, O. anodon, O. anomalum, O. bartramii, O. bolanderi, O. consimile, O. cupulatum, O. diaphanum, O. elegans, O. euryphyllum, O. exiguum, O. fenestratum, O. flowersii, O. gymnostomum, O. hallii, O. holzingeri, O. keeverae, O. kellmanii, O. laevigatum, O. lescurii, O. lyellii, O. norrisii, O. obtusifolium, O. ohioense, O. pallens, O. parvulum, O. pellucidum, O. praemorsum, O. pulchellum, O. pumilum, O. pusillum, O. pycnophyllum, O. pylaisii, O. rivulare, O. shawii, O. shevockii, O. sordidum, O. speciosum, O. spjutii, O. stellatum, O. stramineum, O. strangulatum, O. striatum, O. tenellum, O. underwoodii
O. affine, O. alpestre, O. anodon, O. anomalum, O. bartramii, O. bolanderi, O. consimile, O. cupulatum, O. diaphanum, O. euryphyllum, O. exiguum, O. fenestratum, O. flowersii, O. gymnostomum, O. hallii, O. holzingeri, O. keeverae, O. kellmanii, O. laevigatum, O. lescurii, O. lyellii, O. norrisii, O. obtusifolium, O. ohioense, O. pallens, O. parvulum, O. pellucidum, O. praemorsum, O. pulchellum, O. pumilum, O. pusillum, O. pycnophyllum, O. pylaisii, O. rivulare, O. rupestre, O. shawii, O. shevockii, O. sordidum, O. speciosum, O. spjutii, O. stellatum, O. stramineum, O. strangulatum, O. striatum, O. tenellum, O. underwoodii
Synonyms Dorcadion rupestre, O. bullatum, O. californicum, O. douglasii, O. macfaddenae, O. rupestre var. globosum, O. rupestre var. macfaddenae, O. texanum, O. texanum var. globosum O. psilothecium, O. speciosum subsp. elegans, O. speciosum var. elegans, O. speciosum var. roellii
Name authority Schleicher ex Schwagrichen: Sp. Musc. Frond. Suppl. 1(2): 27, plate 53 [top]. (1816) Schwagrichen ex Hooker & Greville: Edinburgh. J. Sci. 1: 122, plate 6 [upper right]. (1824)
Web links