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Scorpidium cossonii
Historically this species has been known by a number of names, most commonly as Drepanocladus revolvens var. intermedius, and identified by green, profusely branched plants with rather short leaves and shorter leaf cells and occurring in somewhat drier habitats then the type variety. This relationship is very similar to that found in Drepanocladus aduncus and D. polycarpus. Hedenas (1989) thoroughly reviewed the morphology of D. revolvens and D. intermedius and concluded that indeed intermedius was worthy of recognition as a species, however the correct name for this species is not intermedius, but rather cossonii. He placed both of these species in the genus Scorpidium. Scorpidium cossonii differs from S. revolvens by brownish- green (not red) plant coloration, more profuse branching, smaller plants, and especially leaf cell shape and size (oblong 14-95 um – Hedenas 1989) with blunt ends in S. cossonii versus elongate (61-140 um) with sharp ends in S. revolvens.
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| Habit | Ascending to erect, pinnately to irregularly branched, brownish-green plants. |
| Stems | in transverse section with a weak central strand and enlarged epidermal cells. |
| Leaves | concave, falcate-secund with spirally twisted long acuminate apices costa ending in upper 2/3rds of leaf, margins sparsely denticulate. |
| Leaf Cells | oblong-elongate, 14-95 um long (Hedenas 1989), with blunt ends, smooth. |
| Alar Cells | 2-10, hyaline and inflated, forming groups in leaf angles. |
| Habitat | On dry lawns and low hummocks in open rich fens. |
| Common Associates | Occurring with Campylium stellatum, Tomenthypnum nitens, and Scorpidium revolvens. |
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