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knight's plume, knights plume moss

Habit Plants dark green in deeply shaded sites, orange-golden to rusty in exposed sites.
Stems

3–10 cm, usually hooked at apices, branches 0.3–1.5 cm, arising at right angles, hooked at apices or attenuate;

rhizoids usually absent.

Leaves

tapering to apex, 2–3 mm.

Seta

2–3 cm.

Capsule

red-brown, 1.5–2 mm;

operculum apiculate.

Spores

12–16 µm.

Ptilium crista-castrensis

Phenology Capsules mature fall.
Habitat Coniferous forest floors, tundra, peatlands, deciduous forests, especially in boreal regions
Elevation low to high elevations (0-2000 m) (low to high elevations (0-6600 ft))
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; CT; IA; ID; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; PA; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
Source FNA vol. 28, p. 563.
Parent taxa Hypnaceae > Ptilium
Synonyms Hypnum crista-castrensis
Name authority (Hedwig) De Notaris: Comment. Soc. Crittog. Ital. 2: 283. (1867)
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