Montana Field Guide

Plants: Acrocarpous (Vitt 1988). Growing in uncrowded clumps of erect shoots (FNA 2007), green distally and sometimes with tinges of yellow, brown proximally. Stems commonly branched, to 8 cm in height; rhizoids growing low on the stem (Lawton 1971).

Leaves: Contorted, folded and wavy when dry, less so when moist, egg-shaped, more lance-shaped and subulate above (FNA 2007), tapering steadily to an acute or somewhat broader leaf tip (Lawton 1971), 2.5-5 mm in length; base erect but not enveloping the stem, extending down the stem a little, keeled above (Crum & Anderson et al. 1981), margins smooth or occasionally toothed distally, tightly rolled back and down in ca the proximal half; costa usually extending to the apex (FNA 2007).

Leaf Cells: Margins 2 cell-layers thick (Crum & Anderson et al. 1981); lamina usually of 2 cell-layers, the upper cells smooth, nearly square; lower laminal cells not as long at the margins as interiorly, smooth, quadrangular, thick-walled; alar cells clear (FNA 2007), swollen just a little; costa in X-section with guide cells, adaxial and abaxial stereid bands, the abaxial band larger (Lawton 1971), generally smooth on the dorsal surface (Crum & Anderson et al. 1981).

Fruit ripens the last part of spring into the first part of summer (FNA 2007).

Differs from the similar O. wahlenbergii which has more strongly crisped leaves that become suddenly subulate (FNA 2007).

Soil, damp stones, decaying wood, commonly along streams (FNA 2007).

Autoicous, the perigonia situated just beneath the perichaetia. Seta upright, spiraled when dry, 7-22 mm in height. Capsule bowed, tilted to level, shrunken below the opening, with a swelling at the base, 1.5-2 mm in length, ochre, a little grooved when dry; peristome single, the 16 red, 2-lobed teeth split to about midway (FNA 2007), finely lined up and down below (Lawton 1971), with papillae above. Calyptra draped like a hood (FNA 2007).