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Syntrichia ruralis
Also called Tortula moss, Sidewalk Screw Moss, Star Moss
Syntrichia ruralis, commonly known as twisted moss and star moss, is a species of moss in the family Pottiaceae with a cosmopolitan distribution. It occurs in North America, the Pacific, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North and South Africa, South America, and Australia. It grows in many types of climate, including the Arctic, boreal areas, temperate areas, and deserts. It grows in tundra, coniferous forest, grassland, sagebrush steppe, and other habitat types.
This moss forms tufts of erect stems up to 4 centimeters tall. When it is wet it is bright green and the leaves are loose. When it dries the leaves wrap around the stem and it becomes reddish brown in color. It is dioecious. It also performs vegetative reproduction.
Sarconeurum glaciale · Sarconeurum · Tortula moss · Wideleaf Tortula Moss · Syntrichia · Tortula moss
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Syntrichia ruralis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
