Seta 3-6 mm, straight to some-what arcuate. Capsule when mature ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 3-5 mm, upper face with peri-meter ridge differentiating it from lower face, dull brown to greenish brown, not glossy. Spores 7-12 µm.

Capsules mature late summer-fall. Commonly on rotten decorticated logs, but also on humus banks, mainly subalpine but also occasionally to near sea level, mainly in coniferous forests; low to moderate elevations (10-1500 m); Alta., B.C., Alaska, Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Wash.

This endemic species may resemble Buxbaumia aphylla. The sporangium however, is never glossy chestnut when mature, but is dull and greenish brown; the exostome is in 2-3 rows rather than one row as in B. aphylla.

SELECTED REFERENCE

Ligrone, R. R. et al. 1982. Gametophyte and sporophyte ultrastructure in Buxbaumia piperi (Buxaumiaceae, Musci). J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 52: 465-499.