Physcomitrium pyriforme
“goblet moss”
Physcomitrium pyriforme on soil in restored prairie in Marion,Ohio. March 30, 2007.
Physcomitrium pyriforme on network of protonema
Physcomitrium pyriforme. May 1, 2011. Columbus, Ohio.
Physcomitrium pyriforme sporophytes. April 3, 2012.
Physcomitrium pyriforme sporophytes (with drooping capsules of Funaria hygrometrica).
Batelle Darby Metro Park. May 12, 2013.
Physcomitrium pyriforme capsule. Batelle Darby Metro Park. May 11, 2013.
How to recognize Physcomitrium pyriforme: This plant grows as scattered plants or loose tufts in places where other “pygmy” mosses grow, but it is relatively large moss with 2-3 mm leaves with smooth edges and large leaf cells and a single midvein that extends almost to the sharp leaf tip; these features are easily visible with a 10x handlens. The leaves contort when dry. It is usually found with capsules erect on a 5-15 mm stem. The capsules look like bottom up pears, or rounded urns; the name pyriforme means pear-shaped. The lid on the capsule has a short beak, while the capsule cover or calyptra has a much longer beak.
Where to find Physcomitrium pyriforme: Look for this moss on wet bare disturbed soil next to farmer’s fields and gardens. The capsules mature in the spring.
