224 HOW TO KNOW THE MOSSES 



Capsule short-cylindrical, inclined; reddish-brown; ma- 

 ture in early spring. 



Operculum cone-shaped. 



Range, Arctic America, Canada, and the northern United 

 States; south to North Carolina; Europe; Asia; Africa. 



Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus (L.) Warnst. {Hylo- 

 comium triquetrum (L.) Bryol. Eur.) is by far the most 

 common species, sometimes growing quite abundantly 

 on the ground in rich, moist woods. The usual tall 

 growth is easily recognized by the stif, shaggy appear- 

 ance. Sometimes very short plants are found in dry, 

 open places, with only a few short, unequal branches, 

 but the stiff, wide-spreading leaves still give a shaggy 

 look to the moss. This species is sometimes used as a 

 packing material for china. 



Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus (L.) Warnst. (Hylo- 

 comium squarrosum (L.) Bryol. Eur.) is found in 

 meadows and swampy places. It is not common. The 

 general growth, the manner of branching, and the wide- 

 spreading leaves are similar in character to R. trique- 

 trus, except that the plants are much more slender, and 

 the leaves are much smaller, with longer, finer points. 

 The stem-leaves stand out at right angles to the stem, 

 but this characteristic is not always seen unless the 

 leaves are removed from the stem and examined with a 

 lens. 



