Side-fruited Crisp-moss

Description:

The first two pictures show dry specimens. The last one depicts a more hydrated specimen. Pleurochaete squarrosa is a thermophilous, sub-mediterranean moss. It is a common moss in mediterranan countries. It forms extended cushions. The leaves, strongly curved away from the stem, without a hair point, and very crisped when dry, are good field characters for this species. Plants are green, yellowish-green or golden and 2–6 cm tall. The leaves are usually 4.5–5.5 mm long, have an obvious nerve and taper gradually to the tip from the sheathing base. The basal margins of the leaves have a narrow band of clear cells (visible as almost white margin under a hand lens), extending up the margin for some way. The sporophites are very rare. It can be confused with Tortella tortuosa but they differ because in T. tortuosa the leaves are strongly curved.

Habitat:

Pleurochaete squarrosa is characteristic of seasonally very dry and sunny habitats. Grows loosely tufted or scattered and mixed with other plants on sandy or calcareous ground. The European populations of P. squarrosa are currently spreading in north-western and central Europe, probably in consequence of climate change.