E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Species description:
Genus name derived from a reference to the inner peristome segments nearly opposite the outer teeth; the species meaning shortly hanging, in reference to the habit of some plants, but not descriptive of British Columbia specimens that sometimes have very elongate pen­dent shoots.

Reproduction:
Sporophytes occasional near the coast; sporangia dark brown to red-brown, maturing in spring.

Comments:
Sometimes used as packing material and ornamentally in shop windows; has also been used to decorate a ceremonial mask by West Coast First Nations.

Distinguishing characteristics:
The radiating midribs are found in no other local moss.

Habit:
Forming extensive yellowish-green rounded tufts or mats, sometimes with long pendent or hanging shoots.

Similar Species:
Sometimes confused with small specimens of Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus but the leaves of this species generally form bristly undtidy shoot tips, the leaves are pleated and have two parallel midribs. A. californica is usually dark green, the leaves are closely ap­pressed to the stem when dry, making the dry shoots appear very slen­der, and the midrib is single.