Species description:
Species name refers to a broom, from the swept appearance of the leaves on the stem.

Comments:
Sometimes called "stork's bill moss" in reference to the strongly snouted operculum, or "broom moss" based on the fre­quently curved swept-to-one-side appearance of the leaves.

Distinguishing characteristics:
This is an extremely variable species with considerable habitat diversity; therefore, it is readily confused with sev­eral other species of Dicranum. The most useful features include the non-undulate, usually curved leaves (except in drier open nutrient-poor sites), the usual lack of abundant matting of rhizoids, and the occurrence of single sporophytes on each shoot.

Habit:
Forming loose to dense, tall turfs of glossy, pale to dark green, generally unbranched or irregularly branched plants that show consid­erable variability in leaf orientation.

Similar Species:
From D. majus, D. scoparium is readily distinguished on the basis of the multiple sporophytes in the former. When vegeta­tive, these species are difficult to separate, even on microscopic charac­ters. From species of Campylopus and Paraleucobryum the very broad midrib in these two genera will separate D. scoparium with its narrower midrib. In these genera the midrib occupies 1/3, or more of the leaf width.

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  Some Common Mosses of BC