Taxiphyllum deplanatum
“imbricate yewleaf moss”
Taxiphyllum deplanatum on soil in a woodlot in Delaware, Ohio. November 11. 2014.
Soil streambank habitat of Taxiphyllum deplanatum. Delaware, Ohio. November 11, 2014.
Taxiphyllum deplanatum on soil in a woodlot in Delaware, Ohio. November 11. 2014.
Leaf of Taxiphyllum deplanatum.
Leaf tip, Taxiphyllum deplanatum.
How to recognize Taxiphyllum deplanatum: This moss is one of the plants that grows with flattened (complanate) leaves with short double midribs (costa). The 1-2 mm long leaf is gradually acuminate and can be either straight or asymmetric; the cells are smooth and the leaf tips are serrulate (with small bumps or teeth from projecting cells). There are several distinguishing features that separate it from the other mosses of this growth form but they are seen only under a compound microscope. A cross-section of the stem shows small thick-walled cells in the outside layer of cells, and a central strand with smaller cells in the middle of the stem. The leaves have 3-8 almost square cells on the margin at the base of the leaf. Examination of a whole stem with leaves stripped off can reveal little triangular leaf-shaped pseudoparaphyllia around the bumps on the stem where new branches are beginning to grow.
Where to find Taxiphyllum deplanatum: Look for this moss on rocks and soil in calcareous areas usually in shaded environments.
