Common Name: Rhizomnium Moss

Habitat: Rocks in swampy-moist woods, decaying logs, hummus and found mostly along streams.

Distribution: Circumpolar, Eastern U.S. south to Georgia, and has been found in both the glaciated and unglaciated portions of Ohio-including Athens, Hocking and Vinton Counties.

Gametophyte: Leaves erect-spreading when moist, and contort when dry. Leaf length: 3.5-9mm, (average 6-7mm). Leaf oblong ending in a blunt point (mucro) and bordered by reddish cells, also exhibiting a cartilaginous margin. The overall appearance is pale to dark green with ‘red-tinged tufts’, and will be between 5-12 cm high.

Sporophyte: Seta: Reddish, usually single, but sometimes paired. Length: 1.4-3.5 cm long. Capsule: Yellowish brown with yellowish exostome teeth and brown endostome teeth. Capsule length: 2-3.5 mm, with a very short ‘neck’.

Additional Information: The epithet means ‘dotted’ which is referring to the cluster of antheridia surrounded by petals which gives the male inflorescence a ‘daisy-like’ appearance. R. punctatum is a common moss of Thuja (or Cypress) swamps. It was found in 2006 within the borders of Vinton County’s Zaleski State Forest by the Ohio Moss and Lichen Association, and was a county record.

References:
Crum, Howard. 2004. Mosses of the Great Lakes Forest. Fourth Edition. 266-268.
Flenniken, Don (Editor). 2007. Ohio Moss and Lichen Association Newsletter. OBELISK. Issue 3.
Southern Illinois University’s Bryophyte Webpage: http://bryophytes.plant.siu.edu/imRhizomniumPunctatum.html. Accessed: May, 2010.
Snider, J.A. and B.K. Andreas. 1996. A Catalog and Atlas of the Mosses of Ohio. Misc. Contribution No. 2. p.84.
USDA Website: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RHPU7. Accessed: May, 2010.

Written by Jennifer Philhower-Gillen 2010