Habitat
Hypnum ciricinale is commonly found in humid coniferous forests on the bark of logs in early stages of decomposition. Sometimes also found on tree trunks and rocks.
Gametophyte
Overall Structure:
Hypnum ciricinale growing amongst leafy liverworts
This pleurocarpous moss creeps over the substrate. The shoots are pale, glossy and light-green in color (sometimes brownish). The leaves are falcate-secund (curved and pointing in one direction) toward the substrate.
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Leaf Structure:
Leaves are ovate-lanceolate, acostate, with long-attenuate apices that almost form a complete ring or circle, hence the specific epithet given to this species.
The leaf margin has many small teeth near the leaf tip.
Stem:
There or may or may not be a central strand in the main stem. Outer cells are often thickened.
Sporophyte
Sporophytes are commonly seen all year round. They mature in the winter but persist.
The sporangium is inclined, short, and red-brown in color. The operculum has a short rostrum.
Once the operculum has fallen off the peristome teeth are revealed. This moss has two rows of teeth: the outer row (exostome) which are yellowish and broken off in this picture and the inner row (endostome) which are thinner.
Peristome teeth with spores.