Tortella Moss

Description

A rather nondescript, yellow-green moss with tongue-shaped leaves, forming low turfs up to 1.5 cm tall on soil or sand. Leaves are 2-3 mm long. Moist plants have slightly wavy leaf margins, whilst dry plants have curled and contorted leaves. The colourless leaf base can be seen clearly on dry plants as it tends to hug the stem. Pulling off a few leaves with fingernails reveals the abrupt V-shaped transition between the colourless basal cells and the upper cells.