Orthodicranum fulvum
(formerly Dicranum fulvum)
“boulder broom moss”
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Dicranum fulvum on boulder in woods. Delaware County, Ohio. October 17, 2010.
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Dicranum fulvum on boulder with crustose lichen Porpidia albcaerulescens. Delaware County, Ohio. October 17, 2010.
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Dicranum fulvum leaves. Nore brown alar cells.
How to recognize boulder broom moss: If you find acid rocks (sandstone or granite) with wooly-looking clumps of dark green or brownish moss, that may well be Dicranum fulvum. The 4-5 mm leaves are crisped when dry and spreading to falcate-secund when wet; they are narrowly lanceolate, concave below and tubular above with a long excurrent (extending past the leaf tip) costa. The upper cells are very rough at the back, and mostly bistratose. The costa is ¼ to 1/3 the width of the leaf at the base with a single layer of enlarged alar cells at either side; the upper costa is most of the upper leaf. The capsule is erect.
Where to find boulder broom moss: Dicranum fulvum is found on bare rocks in woods and by streams.