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A Brachythecium
B Other or unknown 1
1 Plant aquatic, growing submerged in streams, rivers or lakes 2
Plant not aquatic 3
2 Leaves long (5 mm.), keeled, strictly in 3 ranks Fontinalis antipyretica
Leaves much shorter (1.5-2.5 mm.), not keeled nor strictly 3-ranked Eurhynchium riparioides (Cf. also nearly straight-leaved forms of Cratoneuron filicinum which are commonly found submerged in streams in limestone country.)
3 Secondary shoots somewhat tassel-like or resembling miniature trees, with erect or ascending, almost bare main stem and crowded branches above 4
Plants lacking this dendroid or sub-dendroid habit.
4 Stems thick, rigid and dark red or blackish green, unbranched for several centimetres, so that the habit is markedly dendroid (tree-like) 5
Stems thin, weak and green in colour, with some branches almost to base, so that habit merely sub-dendroid (not quite tree-like) or tassel-like 6
(N.B. A plant of bushy habit, with rigid, erect, red stems branched from the base, and leaves up to 3-5 mm. long will probably be Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus.)
5 Stems short, erect, 2-5 cm. tall; leaves 2-3 mm. long, bright yellowish green and glossy; looking like' miniature palm trees' in moist grassy places Climacium dendroides
Stems longer (5-12 cm.), sub-erect or arched; leaves about 1 mm. long, dull dark green; on shaded rocks, often by waterfalls Thamnium alopecurum = Thamnobryum alopecurum
6 Branch leaves finely drawn out at tips so that branches appear slender and acutely pointed; capsules curved, inclined Isothecium myosuroides
Branch leaves shortly pointed only, so that branches usually appear relatively stout and bluntly pointed; capsules straight, erect Isothecium myurum = Isothecium alopecuroides
7 Main branches regularly bipinnate or tripinnate in one plane, hence frond-like 8
Main branches simple or once pinnate only 9
8 Stems red, not rigid; leaves glossy, pale or dull yellowish green Hylocomium splendens
Stems green or blackish, rigid; leaves not glossy, vivid green or yellow-green Thuidium tamariscinum
(N.B. A plant with weak green stems that appears to 'key out' here will probably be Eurhynchium praelongum, luxuriant forms of which are sometimes mistaken for Thuidium tamariscinum.)
9 Stems red or orange-red 10
Stems green or yellowish 14
10 Leaves straight, with very short points or rounded at apex, appressed or slightly spreading; branching usually very regularly pinnate 11
Leaves curved, with broad bases and long acute tips which are widely spreading .or recurved; branching most often irregular (sometimes pinnate) 12
11Uppermost leaves rolled together (even when wet) forming sharp 'spear-head' (cuspidate) shoot tips, lower leaves widely spreading, in marshes Acrocladium cuspidatum
'Spear-head' shoot tips normally lacking (at least when wet), lower leaves not widely spreading; chiefly heath and moorland Pleurozium schreberi
12 Leaves at shoot tips large (3-5 mm.), clear pale green, only lightly curved; branches short and crowded above, so that habit bushy (stems often nearly erect) Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus
Leaves at shoot tips shorter, dull yellowish green, widely spreading-recurved; branches long and never crowded, so that habit not as above 13
13 Plant robust, with strong, rigid, freely branched stems; leaves curved gradually from base to long, fine, hook-like tip; upland woods and mountain slopes Rhytidiadelphus loreus
Plant of medium size, with relatively weak, little-branched stems; leaves abruptly bent outwards (squarrose) above short clasping bases, divergent tips straight and scarcely hook-like; grassy places (very common generally) R. squarrosus
14 Semi-aquatic: in marshes or on rocks or tree bases by water 15
Not semi-aquatic; habit various 19
15 Uppermost leaves rolled together to form very sharp, 'spear- head' shoot tips Acrocladium cuspidatum
(Cf. also Brachythecium rivulare and nearly straight-leaved forms of Cratoneuron filicinum, both of which can appear to have these 'spear-head' shoot tips at times; they will, however, be instantly separated under the microscope.)
Uppermost leaves widely spreading in conspicuously star-like manner Campylium stellatum
Shoot tips neither forming sharp 'spear-heads' nor star-like 16
16 Leaves small (about 1 mm.), nerveless; secondary stems with long slender branches; yellowish green to bright golden plant of rocks by waterfalls and mountain streams Hyocomium armoricum
Leaves larger (1.5-2.5 mm.), nerved; secondary stems with relatively short branches; various shades of green 17
17 Leaves ovate and shortly pointed; plant deep green; older stems often nearly bare of leaves; always by or in running water Eurhynchium riparioides
Leaves narrower, with rather long fine points; plant yellowish or mid-green; older stems not bare of leaves 18
18 Secondary stems with numerous short, nearly erect branches; leaves crowded and not widely spreading; tips of branches light yellowish green and very glossy Brachythecium rivulare
Habit usually creeping, with irregular or pinnate branching; leaves rather distantly spaced and widely spreading; tips of branches darker green and not very glossy Leptodictyum riparium
19 Leaves minute (0.5 mm.), only just distinguishable with the naked eye Amblystegium serpens
Leaves larger (1 mm. or over), easily seen with the naked eye 20
20 Leaves bluntly rounded, or suddenly contracted into minute points (apiculate) at tips 21
Leaves gradually tapering to acute points 23
21 Leaves opaque, not glossy, much shrivelled and curled when dry; plant of calcareous banks Anomodon viticulosus
Leaves translucent, glossy, little altered when dry; habitats various 22
22 Uppermost leaves rolled together to form sharp, 'spear-head' shoot tips; colour usually vivid yellowish green Acrocladium cuspidatum
Spear-heads lacking, shoot tips appearing blunt and rounded; branchlets swollen with concave leaves; usually pale yellowish green Pseudoscleropodium purum
23 Plant with numerous fine branches on which the leaves are much smaller than on the main stems; forming untidy, usually deep green straggling mats on shaded banks Eurhynchium praelongum
Plant lacking these very fine, small-leaved branches, being less intricately branched; with leaves nearly equal in size throughout shoot 24
24 Leaves narrowly lanceolate, tapering gradually to rather long fine tips, usually 2-2.5 mm. long; plants with strikingly silky gloss 25
Leaves (on main secondary stems) ovate-lanceolate to heart- shaped, often shorter, rather suddenly narrowed above the middle to form fairly short fine points; dull or glossy 26
25 Bright green, with silky sheen, creeping on walls, boulders or tree bases Camptothecium sericeum
Yellowish, of loose habit with ascending branches; in calcareous grassland or sand dunes Camptothecium lucens
26 Robust; leafy shoots 2 mm, across, leaves 1.5-2.5 mm. long and 1 mm. broad at base 27.
Slender; leafy shoots 1 mm. across, leaves distinctly smaller than above 28
(N.B. A plant intermediate in size between 27 and 28, with numerous erect, little-branched, glossy, yellow-green secondary shoots, growing on poor sandy or gravelly soil, will probably be Brachythecium albicans (Brachythecium key) ).
27 Stems and branches rather rigid so that big bushy tufts formed; leaves evenly and widely spreading when dry; stem leaves heart- shaped to triangular, with strong longitudinal striations (folds); capsule lid long-beaked; calcareous woods and banks Eurhynchium striatum
Stems creeping with soft, irregular ascending branches, bushy tufts, not formed; leaves less regularly and widely spreading when dry, broadly ovate-lanceolate and only faintly striate; lid of capsule not long-beaked; abundant in woods, etc. Brachythecium rutabulum (Brachythecium key)
28 Very silky; capsule lid not long-beaked; on stones, etc., in light or shade Brachythecium velutinum (Brachythecium key)
Not very silky; capsule lid long-beaked; on stones, etc., chiefly in shady situations Eurhynchium confertum
(N.B. Straight-leaved varieties of Hypnum cupressiforme and small forms of Isothecium myosuroides may key out here, but will require a microscope for determination.)
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