Pohlia nutans
Pohlia lescuriana
nodding pohlia, nodding thread-moss, pohlia moss
Lescur's pohlia moss, pretty nodding-moss, pretty pohlia
0.5–3.5(–10) cm.
0.3–0.8 cm.
erect to ± spreading, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 2 mm;
base not or scarcely decurrent;
margins subentire or more often serrulate to serrate in distal 1/3;
costa subpercurrent, percurrent, or rarely short-excurrent;
distal medial laminal cells hexagonal to rhomboidal, firm, 50–90 µm, walls moderately thick.
erect to ± spreading, lanceolate, 0.7–1.2 mm;
base not or scarcely decurrent;
margins serrulate to serrate in distal 1/3;
costa subpercurrent;
distal medial laminal cells linear-rhomboidal, 65–110 µm, walls thin.
orange to orange-brown.
orange-brown.
paroicous, rarely dioicous;
perigonial leaves ovate-lanceolate;
perichaetial leaves somewhat differentiated, ± long-lanceolate.
dioicous;
perigonial leaves ovate;
perichaetial leaves weakly differentiated, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate.
inclined 80–100°, orange to orange-brown, slender-pyriform, neck 1/2 urn length;
exothecial cells elongate-rectangular, walls straight;
stomata superficial;
annulus present;
operculum conic;
exostome teeth yellow to orange-brown, acute-triangular;
endostome hyaline or rarely orange-brown, basal membrane 1/2 exostome length, segments tapered apically, broadly keeled, broadly perforate, cilia short to long.
inclined 95–180°, brown to stramineous, broadly short-pyriform, neck 1/3 urn length;
exothecial cells short-rectangular, walls sinuate;
stomata superficial;
annulus present;
operculum short- to long-conic;
exostome teeth light yellow-brown, triangular-acute;
endostome hyaline, basal membrane 1/2 exostome length, segments tapered apically, distinctly keeled, broadly perforate, cilia short to rudimentary.
16–22 µm, finely to distinctly roughened.
15–21 µm, finely roughened.
asexual reproduction typically absent.
asexual reproduction occasionally present;
rhizoidal tubers orange, orange-brown, or yellow.
Pohlia nutans
Pohlia lescuriana
Pohlia nutans is the most common species of Pohlia in North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast to the treatment by A. J. Shaw (1982), P. sphagnicola is not separated here from P. nutans; the type of P. sphagnicola is European. Plants referable to P. sphagnicola, including North American collections, differ in being dioicous and having entire leaves, slightly shorter laminal cells, and smaller spores. The habitat in Sphagnum hummocks is not diagnostic; at least 80% of plants growing in Sphagnum are P. nutans. Pohlia schimperi, a northern form with reddish leaves, also dioicous, is not recognized, as per Shaw.
The peristome of Pohlia nutans is as well developed as any in Pohlia, with long, tapered, trabeculate exostome teeth and well-developed endostomes with broadly keeled, widely perforate segments and short to long cilia. The laminal cells are short- to elongate-hexagonal with thickened walls. The only other North American species with relatively thick-walled laminal cells is P. elongata; the cells of P. elongata are typically longer, but there is extensive overlap in sizes. Plants without sporophytes have generally been named P. nutans, although some collections from montane regions may actually be P. elongata; sporophytes of P. elongata have longer necks, as long as or longer than the urns, and reduced peristomes with endostome segments narrowly split along the keel and (usually) no cilia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Pohlia lescuriana is an inconspicuous woodland species in eastern North America; it often grows in small sterile patches and can be recognized by the slender, pale green shoots. The sporophytes, never common, are short-pyriform to urceolate when dry. Yellow to orange gemmae sometimes occur on the rhizoids.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC - Local Web sites:
CalFlora, CalPhotos, 
Flora NW, 
IL Wildflowers, 
KS Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
