Schwarz's Swan Neck Moss

Campylopus gracilis is easily recognized by a very broad costa, occupying ³/4 or more of the leaf width, very small shortly rectangular, distal laminal cells and large auricles projecting distinctly into the costa. In Europe, the species is found in similar situations in the highly oceanic parts as in the west coast of North America, where it is found on Queen Charlotte Islands and adjacent mainland. It is also found (as in C. atrovirens) in the Alps.

Plants medium-sized to large, 2–6(8) cm high, yellowish green to grayish green, shiny, in dense tufts. Stems erect or ascending, simple or branched, brood bodies often present in the axils of the upper leaves; central strand present. Leaves flexuose or appressed when dry, erect-patent when moist, (4–)7–9 mm long, lanceolate, gradually narrowed to a subulate acumen, lamina not extending beyond 1/3 the leaf length; margins involute, entire below, serrulate only at the apex; costa broad, occupying ¾ the leaf base width, shortly excurrent, not ending in a hyaline point, dorsal cells with incrassate walls and large lumina, without clearly defined stereids, usually with ridges at back in the upper part in transverse section; upper cells small, short-rectangular, 14 µm × 5 µm, not particularly thick-walled; basal cells rectangular, 30–45 µm × 8–12 µm, becoming narrower and with several rows of linear cells at the margins; alar cells forming well marked auricles, inflated, hexagonal, reddish brown, clearly protruding into the costa. Dioicous. Perichaetia yellowish, with elongate paraphyses. Setae straight or flexuose when dry, cygneous when moist, up to 1.1 cm long, yellowish; capsules cylindric, ca. 1.7 mm × 0.4 mm, reddish brown, clearly plicate when dry; opercula obliquely rostrate; peristome teeth reddish brown, divided to the middle, papillosely striate. Calyptrae fringed at base. Spores not seen.

Plants 1-8 cm, glossy yellowish green or golden green, not tomentose. Leaves 5-8 mm, erect when wet, appressed when dry, rarely falcate, narrowly lanceolate, ending in a long and fine, concolorous subula; alar cells conspicuous, hyaline, projecting into the costa; basal laminal cells hyaline, thin-walled, long-rectangular, lamina very short, ending at mid leaf, distal laminal cells short-rectangular or oblique, very small; costa very broad, occupying ³/4-⁴/5 of leaf width, long-excurrent in a fine almost entire subula, in transverse section showing very large, lax adaxial hyalocysts filling half of the costa thickness and no abaxial stereids, faintly abaxially ridged. Specialized asexual reproduction by deciduous leaves or broken leaf tips. Sporophytes not known.

Distribution: China, Japan, Nepal, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Europe, and North America.

Habitat: on rotten wood, soil, or rocks.

Dicranum gracile Mitten, J. Linn. Soc., Bot., suppl. 1: 17. 1859; Campylopus schwarzii Schimper