Dry to moist open places, forest clearings, roadcuts, forests, heath and bogs in the lowland and steppe to subalpine and rarely alpine zones; frequent throughout BC, infrequent in SC BC; cosmopolitan, N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to WV, MI, WI, MT, ID and N CA; Europe, Asia, Africa, S America.
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range. (Updated August, 2013)
A shade-tolerant/intolerant, submontane to subalpine, circumpolar club-moss (transcontinental in North America). Occurs on moderately dry to fresh, nitrogen-poor soils. Widespread on water-shedding sites in boreal, cool temperate, and cool mesothermal climates; its occurrence increases with increasing latitude. Common in open-canopy coniferous forests; often inhabits decaying wood, persists on undisturbed cutover areas. Grows with Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium cristacastrensis, and Rhytidiadelphus loreus. An oxylophytic species characteristic of Mor humus forms.
