Polytrichum commune

Polytrichum commune is a medium to large moss. It is dark green in colour,

but becomes brownish with age. The stems can occur in either loose or quite
dense tufts, often forming extensive colonies. The stems are most typically
found at lengths of 5 to 10 cm, but can be as short as 2 cm or as long as 70
cm. They range in stiffness from erect to decumbent (i.e. reclining) and are
usually unbranched, though in rare cases they may be forked. The leaves
occur densely to rather distantly, and bracts are present proximally.

The leaves typically measure 6 to 8 mm in length, but may be up to 12 mm

long. When dry they are erect, but when moist they are sinuous with
recurved tips and are generally spreading to broadly recurved, or sharply
recurved from the base. The leaf sheath is oblong to elliptic in outline,
forming an involute (i.e. with inward rolling margins) tube and clasping the
stem. This sheath is typically golden yellow and shiny, and it is abruptly
contracted to the narrowly lanceolate blade. Using a microscope, the
marginal lamina can be seen to be level or erect, narrow, and typically 2 to 3
cells wide, though sometimes as many as 7 cells wide. It is toothed from the
base of the blade up to the apex, with the teeth being unicellular and
embedded in the margin. The costa, or central stalk of the leaf, is toothed on
the underside near the apex, and is excurrent, meaning it extends beyond
the end of the apex, ending in a short, rough awn.

The lamellae, ridges of cells that run along the leaf surface, are crenulate (i.e.
with small rounded teeth) in profile and are 5 to 9 cells high. 

he plants are sexually dioicous. The leaves of the perichaetium have a long sheath

with a scarious (i.e. membranous) margin, while the blades themselves are greatly
reduced, gradually narrowing to a finely acuminate tip. These blades have toothed
margins, are denticulate to subentire in outline, roughened to almost smooth, and
have a costa that is excurrent.