Plagiomnium insigne
badge moss, coastal leafy moss, costal leafy moss, plagiomnium moss
dark green, green, or yellow-green, crisped and contorted when dry, flat when moist, elliptic, narrowly elliptic, or occasionally ovate or oblong, (3–)5–9(–11) mm;
base broadly long-decurrent;
margins toothed to near base, teeth sharp, of 1 or 2 cells;
apex acute, acuminate, or occasionally obtuse or rounded, cuspidate, cusp toothed;
costa excurrent, percurrent, or rarely subpercurrent;
medial laminal cells usually short-elongate or ± isodiametric, 40–70(–80) µm, somewhat smaller near margins to about 1/2 size, in weakly defined longitudinal rows, rarely in diagonal rows, collenchymatous, walls pitted, pits often indistinct;
marginal cells linear, in 3–4(–5) rows.
3–6(–8), reddish proximally, yellow distally, 2–4 cm.
dioicous.
pendent, cylindric, 3.5–4.5 mm, neck not distinct;
operculum conic-apiculate.
20–25 µm.
stems 3–8 cm, not dendroid;
sterile stems to 10 cm.
Plagiomnium insigne
Plagiomnium insigne is typically a large species, often forming extensive mats or turfs. It is fairly common in forests and in shaded urban habitats along the west coast. Plagiomnium medium is usually smaller, lighter green, and found in generally wetter habitats than P. insigne. According to T. J. Koponen (1974), older fertile stems of P. medium are more densely covered with rhizoids than those of P. insigne that are nearly rhizoid free.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
CalFlora
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
