Key to Mosses on U.B.C campus
1. Leaf made up of a network of elongate chlorophyllose cells surrounding enlarged non-chlorophyllose cells, these dead cells with transverse thickened bands________________Sphagnum
1. Leaf made up of only chlorophyllose cells, these never with transversely thickened bands across the cell ___________ 2.
2. Leaf cells with walls conspicuously sinuose (wavy) ________ 3
2. Leaf cells never with sinouse walls _____________________ 4
3. Leaf cells all papillose (bumpy) _________________Rhacomitrium canescens
3. Leaf cells not papollose, but witish apex bearing teeth Rhacomitrium heterostichum
4. Leaves elliptic to rounded, leaf margin of elongate cells forming a well-differentiated border, contrasted to the cekks if the rest if the leaf Rhizomnium glabrescens
4. Leaves ovate to lanceolate, leaf apex conspicuously taperin_______________________________________ 5.
5. Leaves with conspicuous whitish hair point apex _________________6.
5. Leaves lacking whitish hair point: if hair point present, never whitish ____________________________________________________________ 10.
6. Hair point gradually tapered from leaf lamina _________________ 8.
6. Hair point abruptly differentiated from apex of lamina _______________7.
7. Peristome teeth red- brown, without a whitish basal sleeve
Tortula muralis
7. Peristome teeth whitish, with a conspicuous whitish basal sleeve.
Tortula princeps or T. Ruralis
8. Leaves thick and rigid, with colourless blade incurved over longitudinal lamellae.
Polytrichum piliferum
8. Leaves thin and soft, blade never incurved, always lacking lamellae ________________________________________ 9.
9. Capsules immersed among perichaetial leaves
Schistidium apocarpum
9. Capsules exserted on curved seta
Grimmia pulvinata or G. trichophylla
10. Plants resembling tiny trees, with “trunk” and an apical cluster of branches
10. Plants not resembling a small tree ______________________________11.
11. Leaves with transverse undulations ____________________________ 12.
11. Leaves lacking transverse undulations __________________________ 14.
12. Plants growing on logs or soil, sporophytes with very elongated seta; capsule with ridges
12. Plants on trees or rocky substrata (including concrete) _________ 13.
13. Plants golden to brownish green, bearing numerous flagelliform branches, capsules immersed
Metaneckera menziesii
13. Plants pale green, lacking flagelliform branches, capsule on elongate seta
Neckera douglassii
14. Leaf margin made up of a elongate cells conspicuously differentiated form those of the rest of the blade ___________________________ 15.
14. Leave marginal cells gradually differing in shape from those of the rest of the blade, or of the same shape as those of the blade _______________________________________ 17.
15. Teeth on surface of blade, formed in diagonal rows; leaves with lamellae on costa
15. Teeth absent on surface of blade, lamellae absent _____________________ 16.
16. Plants with arching or creeping leafy shoots; erect plants with long decurrent leaf bases (running down stem)
Plagiomnium insigne
16. Plants lacking creeping shoots; erct plants with leaves weakly decurrent
Plagiomnium venustum
17. Plants forming turfs of little-branched or unbranched erect leafy shoots _______________________________________________ 18.
17. Plants forming interwoven mats of much branched reclining leaf shoots
18. Leaves more than 5X as long as wide (lanceiolate) ________________ 19
18. Leaves less than 4X as long as wide (ovate to cordate) ______________33
19. Leaves more or less C shaped, curved so that the points are mainly directed to one side of the plant ______________________ 20
19. Leaves not C-shaped, points radially pointing out from the stem ___ 23.
20. Plants forming short (1-2 cm tall) silky turf on raw earth, capsule mouth obliquely oriented when mature; leaves lacking coloured alar cells (in basal corners) Dicranella hereromalla
20. Plants forming tall turf (3 cm or taller) on humus, logs trees, capsule mouth transversely oriented; leaves with pigmented alar cells _________________________________
21. Leaves commonly brittle and broken off when mature; capsule erect, straight
21. Leaves rarely broken, capsule curved, inclined _______________ 22
22. Upper leaf cells mainly square or short rectangular; cell walls not conspicuously pitted; leaves much twisted when dry
Dicranum fuscescens
22. Upper leaf cells long rectangular; cell walls conspicuously pitted; leaves little twisted when dry Dicranum Scoparium
23. Leaves with tips commonly broken off Dicranum tauricum
23. Leaves rarely with broken tips ______________________ 24
24. Leaf cells papillose (as viewed under high power) ___________ 25
24. Leaf cells without papillae _________________________ 28
25. Plants pale yellow-green , often with gemmi ferrous shots
25. Plants usually dark green, never with gemmi ferrous shoots
________________________________________________ 26.
26. Forming turfs on soil or rock; capsule smooth with long seta; capsule cylindric, with corkscrew-twisted peristome teeth
Barbula cylindrical or B. convolute
26. Forming tufts on concrete or trees; capsule with short straight teeth, seta short or inconspicuous
27. Capsule immersed; plants 3-4 cm. long
Orthotrichum lyellii
27. Capsule exserted on a short seta plants less than 1 cm. tall
Orthotrichum consimile
28. Leaves 1 cm long, with lamellae on upper surface _____________________ 29
28. Leaves less than 5 mm. long, lacking lamellae________________________ 31
29. Leaves with reddish hair point; blade incurved over lamellae
Polytrichum juniperinum
29. Leaves lacking hair point; blade plane ____________________________________ 30
30. Leaves markedly contorted when dry; leafy plants usually 205 cm. tall.
Pogonatum contortum
30. Leaves not contorted when dry; leafy plants usually less than 2 cm. tall
Pogonatum urnigerum
31. Leaf cells squarish ________________________________________ 31a
31. Leave cells elongate _______________________________________ 32
31a Axillary gemmae common among vegetative plants; capsule yellowish and erect in “fertile” plants
Dicranoweisia cirrata
31a Axillary gemmaw absent; capsule deep chestnut purple and inclined when dry
Ceratodon purpureus
32. Bud-like propagula common at axils of upper leaves; plants usually on disturbed well-drained soil.
Pohlia proligera
32. Bud-like propagula absent; plants usually in seepage sites or wet sites
Pohlia wahlenbergii
33. Plants silvery gray-green, little branched, forming short turf bryum argenteum
33. Plants never silvery green _______________________________ 34
34. Plants essentially unbranched, with upper leaves forming rosettes on antheridial plants, or bulbiform perichaetia on archegoniate plants; capsule regulary grooved when mature
Funaria hygrometrica
34. Plants much branched, lacking rosettes or bulbiform perichaeti ___________________________ 35
35. Leaf cells papillose Claopodium crispifolium
35. Leaf cell without papillae ___________________________________ 37
37. Stems with many paraphyllia; stem leaves with sinuose apex
Hylocomium splendens
37. Stems without paraphyllia; stem leaves lacking sinuose (wavy) apex ____________________________________________ 38
38. Leafy shoots showing a decidedly flattened appearance
(complinate) ____________________________________ 39
38. Leafy shoots not complanate ________________________ 40
39. Leaves with narrow decurrent bases Plagiothecium laetum
39. Leaves lacking decurrent bases Isopterygium elegans
40. Leaves with a single costa ____________________________ 41
40. Leaves with doble costa or costa not apparent under low magnification _________________________________________ 47
41. Leaves with small abrupt apiculus (tapering point); leaf margins with inconspicuous teeth, even under high magnification
Pseudoscleropodium purum
41. Leaves with gradually tapering leaf apex; margins with teeth very apparent, even at low magnification ________________________________ 42
42. Stem leaves broadly cordate to broadly triangular, base strongly decurrent (base running down along the stem _______________ 43
42. Stem leaves ovate to narrowly triangular, base not strongly decurrent _______________________________ 44
43. Plants regularly once pinnate; branch leaves usually more than 1mm. long
Stokesiella oregano
43. Plants usually twice to thrice pinnate; branch leaves usually less than 1 mm.
Stokesiella praelonga
44. Leavs markedly plicate _________________________ 46
44. Leaves not plicate _____________________________45
45. Alar cells much smaller than remainder of leaf cells; leaves with teeth conspicuous under 12x magnification
Isothecium Stoloniferum
45. Alar cells larger than remainder of leaf cells or not apparent; leaves with teeth not apparent at 12x magnification
Brachythecium asperrimum
46. Stem leaves 2-4 mm. long, lacking teeth at base
Homalothecium fulgescens
46. Stem leaves less than 2 mm. long, often with recurved teeth near leaf base
Homalothecium nuttallii
47. Leaves plicate (pleated), at least near leaf base ___________ 48
47. Leaves not plicate _______________________ 50
48. Stem leaves decidedly squarrose Rhytidiadelphus sqaurrosus
48. Stem leaves not squarrose (at an angle to the stem) ____________ 49
49. Leaves plicate through most of their length; leaves readially divergent, never falcate
Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus
49. Leaves plicate only near base; leaves near apex falcate
Rhytidiadelphus loreus
50. Stem leaves squarrose Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
50. Stem leaves never squarrose _______________________________ 51
51. Leaves falcate-secund (C-shaped) _________________________ 52
51. Leaves not falcate-secund
Calliergonella cuspidata
52. Leaves, at least on one side, broadly cordate; capsule 2-3x as long as wide
Hypnum circinale
52. Leaves not cordate; capsule 5-6x longer than wide
Hypnum subimponens