Specimen #7 Star Moss

                                           Figure 1: Close up of leaves

                                    Figure 2: Leaves again (note that the leaves are very wilted and
                                    distorted compared to what they look like when growing in nature)

Name: Atrichum angustatum
Family:  Polytrichaceae

Common Name: star moss 

Collection Date:  October 20, 2011

Habitat: Growing in very moist soil on the ground

Location: The Nature Realm

Description: "Plants medium sized, in loose, dull, dark green to brownish-green tufts, on light, often sandy soil in woods, ditches, roadbanks, and disturbed areas..(Conrad and Redfearn,1979)." 

Collector: Kelcie Cuckler

Key used: Conard, H.S. and P.L. Redfearn, Jr. 1979. How to Know the Mosses and Liverworts 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, Boston, Mass.

Keying Steps:

Introduction Key pg. 19

1a. Plant with stems and leaves,.. rhizoids multicellular,.. no elaters in capsule.. 2

2b. Plants not sphagnidae.. 3

3b. Plants not andreaeidae.. p.28 subclass bryidae

Key to Genera

1b. Green, brown, yellow plants.. not in 2 or 3 layers.. 3

3b. Leaves inserted in 3 or more rows.. 7

7b. Plants with a peristome of more than 4 teeth.. 8

8b. Leaves well developed and persistent.. 9

9b. Capsule and leaves not as above.. 10

10b. Plants without a distinct stem, capsule with operculum.. 17

17b. Plants minute to large, capsules minute to exerted.. 20

20b. Leaves without photosynthetic outgrowths.. 28

28b. Plants don't only grow on organic matter.. peristome single or double.. 33

33a. Stems erect, unbranched, generally in tufts.. 34

34b. Leaves, especially bases, not as above.. 36

36b. Leaf cells smooth.. 83

83b. Plant growing on soil, rock, or trees but not forming long creeping stems.. 85

85b. Larger mosses, stems usually 4 mm or more tall, if minute, with persistent protonema.. 91

91b. Leaves in 5 ranks.. 92

92b. Leaves 1-5 times as long as broad.. 111

111b. Leaves bright or dark green.. 115

115b. Upper leaf cells quadrate, hexagonal, rhombic, or short-rectangular, 6 times or less as long as wide.. 118

118b. Upper leaf cells hexagonal, rhombic, or short-rectangular.. 125

125b. Marginal cells slender, fusiform, not similar to cells of lamina.. 126

126a. Capsules erect; peristome single, composed of 32 teeth.. 127

127a. Leaves oval-oblong.. margins serrate.. costa bearing a few short lamellae.. (p.223) Atrichum 


Key to Species
1a. Upper leaf cells averaging 12-17 u in longest dimension; leaves narrow, those near the middle of the stem usually less than 1mm wide.. Atrichum angustatum


Links: 
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ATAN3
http://ohiomosslichen.org/MossID25.html 
http://www.thismia.com/A/Atrichum_angustatum.html