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

Species description:
The genus name based on a wrong observation that the operculum splits. Species name describing the feather-like appearance of the vegetative leafy plant.

Reproduction:
Sporophytes common, sporangia sub spherical pale yellow-brown when mature in spring, lacking peristome teeth.

Comments:
Sometimes called luminous moss or fairy gold, based on the protonema that glows yellow-green from reflected light.

Distinguishing characteristics:
The very tiny plants with leaves clearly in two rows and laterally fused at the base, the seemingly leafless lower portion of the shoots, the tiny sub spherical sporangia that lack peri­stome teeth, added to the very shaded habitat and the "luminous" protonema, when present, are distinctive features.

Habit:
Short turfs, loosely affixed to substratum; the protonema glows with reflected light, producing a light yellow-green sheen on the substratum.

Similar Species:
Small species of Pissidens can resemble S. pennata but the leaves of Pissiden show a clear sheathing flap and a midrib, and bright red peristome teeth are characteristic in the elongate sporangium.