Schreber'S Big Red Stem Moss (Pleurozium schreberi)
Description
The loosely pinnate branches and bright red stem showing through translucent green leaves are usually easy to recognize. When dry, the red stems only become visible on wetting, or after scraping leaves off the stem. Shoots are several centimetres long. The leaves, about 2-2.5 mm long, are oval with a broad, blunt tip; they are also very concave and envelope the stem. Stem and branch leaves are similar in shape, but the branch leaves are rather smaller. The leaf has a short, double nerve (but this may be absent) and thick-walled, orange-brown cells in the basal corners. Capsules are rare in this species.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Bryophyta
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Class: Bryopsida
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Order: Hypnales
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Family: Hylocomiaceae
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Genus: Pleurozium
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