Brachythecium mildeanum
This species is the only common Brachythecium that regularly occurs in boreal rich fens. Brachythecium turgidum, more common northward, is larger and mostly unbranched. The straight (non-falcate-secund) leaves, shortly acuminate leaf apices, lack of inflated alar cells, and presence of a single costa distinguish this species from all other mosses growing in fens. In general, other more upland species of the genus have narrower leaves, more branched plants, and most species have serrulate leaf margins. When these upland species occur in peatlands, they are found in rotting wood and tree bases, and do not occur directly in lawn habitats.
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Habit |
Plants rather large, erect to ascending, mostly with a few branches, light green to lime green, sometiems with yellow-green tips |
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Stems |
naked, without enlarged epidermal cells |
Leaves |
erect, sometimes loosely so, straight, broadly lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, shortly acuminate, somewhat plicate, margines entire, costa weak, single, ending about 3/4 up the leaf |
Leaf Cells |
elongate-linear mostly with sharp ends, smooth, shorter below |
Alar Cells |
gradually shorter and rectangular, rather dense and firm-walled, forming indistinct, angular groups |
Habitat |
growing among other mosses in carpets and lawns of moderate-rich fens, occassionally found in pure patches |
Common Associates |
Occuring with Hamatocaulis vernicosus and Scorpidium revolvens |
pH Meter
This page was last revised on: Wed, 05-Mar-2008 23:06