Hymenostylium recurvirostrum
(hook-beak tufa moss)
Hymenostylium recurvirostrum on limestone ledge in Green County, Ohio, July 17, 2025.
Leaf from Hymenostylium recurvirostrum on linestone ledge in Green County, Ohio, July 17, 2025.
Hymenostylium recurvirostrum on limestone ledge in Green County, Ohio, July 17, 2025.
How to recognize Hymenostylium recurvirostrum: This little moss forms tufts with leaves spread wide when wet, and appressed and contorted when dry. The leaves are 0.6 to 1 mm long, ligulate to linear-lanceolate. The single costa ends just below the apex. . Cross sections of the stem show no central strand, a feature that distinguishes it from the nearly identical Gymnostomum aeruginosum.
Where to find Hymenostylium recurvirostrum: Look in damp strictly calcareous (limestome or dolomite) rock crevices.
