Specimen #3: Brachythecium salebrosum, Moss

Name: Brachythecium salebrosum

Common Name:  Golden Foxtail Moss

Family:  Brachytheciaceae
Collection Date: September 5, 2016

Habitat: Located in a shady area of grass, growing in soil.

Location: Warren, Ohio

Description:  Moss grows in long strands. Growth is horizontal, and is smaller than 3cm tall.  Color ranges from a golden yellow to a light green. Leaves are small, and have a lance shape, with a noticeable midrib. 

Key Used: McKnight, K. B. (2013). Common mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Figure 1: Golden Foxtail Moss sample

Figure 2: Leaf from Golden Foxtail Moss.  Leaves all have a lance shape, with a midrib going through the body.  The midrib is much more noticible towards the base of the leaf.

Keying  Steps:

Growth Form-Pleurocarp-Lance

1b. Plants creeping or creeping with ascending shoot tips, top of plants rarely more than 3cm above the substrate……7

7b. Plants terrestrial on soil, rocks, trees, or logs, or if submerged then leaves not folded at base to form pocket…. 8

8b. Leaves 2-4 mm long……17

17b.  Older shoots with green, yellow green, golden or brownish green leaves; growing on various substrates; capsules usually bent over on stalks from short side branches….19

19b. Leaf tips long and sharply pointed; long branches not curling like a hook when dry…..20

20b.  Leaves at stem tips straight or curved in various directions…21

21b.  Leaf tips flat, not rolled lengthwise…23

23b.  Leaves crowded, pleated, (especially when dry); capsules stubby macaroni-shaped and gently curved, dark brown…..24

24b. Leaves strongly pleated when dry, less so when wet; capsules 2mm long, inclined to horizontal (both sexes on one plant so frequently with capsules)…. Brachythecium salebrosum