Hornwort Moss

Description:

Leafy moss, maximum height of about 5 millimetres. The thallus is nearly flat on the upper surface. It is of dark green and somewhat lustrous color, devoid of intercellular spaces. Its capsule is commonly 6 inches (150 mm) to 18 inches (460 mm) in length. The base is surrounded by a cylindrical sheath that often flares at the mouth. Spores are yellow with a granular-papillose surface. The elaters are yellowish, often branches, and varying in size and form. The slender green capsules, when produced in large numbers, resemble grass tufts. Mature spores are necessary for species determination.

Habitat:

Areas of plentiful moisture, such as moist soils in fields, the banks of streams and rivers or inundated beneath the surface of the rivers.