Bryophytes (Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts) • Earth.com

Lyall's polytrichum moss

(Polytrichastrum formosum)

galery
en

Description

A medium-sized plant with erect, unbranched, scattered shoots in loose tufts, 5-10 cm tall, and leaves 1 cm long or slightly more. The bright, dark green, straight leaves hug the stem, becoming wavy and duller when dry. The spreading, narrow, triangular limb extends from a matt, colourless sheathing base. Narrow, colourless margins are distinctly toothed, and become inrolled to protect the up to 70 ridges of tissue on the upper surface of the nerve as the leaf dries out. The (4-) 5- to 6-angled, erect to inclined, rather rectangular capsule with a long (2 mm) lid is borne on a 2.5-6 cm seta, yellowish above, red below. Capsules are frequent and covered by the calyptra when mature

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Bryophyta
Class: Bryopsida
Order:Polytrichales
Family:Polytrichaceae
Genus:Polytrichastrum
News coming your way
The biggest news about our planet delivered to you each day