Bryum lonchocaulon Müller Hal., Flora 58: 93. 1875

Plants in dense or open turfs, green or yellow-green. Stems 1-2(-3) cm, comose, innovations comose or somewhat elongate and evenly foliate; somewhat radiculose. Leaves green, twisted to contorted when dry, ovate- lanceolate, flat to weakly concave, (1-)2-3 mm, not much enlarged toward stem apex; base not decurrent; margins revolute to mid leaf or beyond, limbidium strong, in (2-)3-4(-6) rows, ; apex acuminate; costa long-excurrent, awn ± smooth; proximal laminal cells 3-4:1, same width or sometimes wider than more distal cells; medial and distal cells rhomboidal, (12-)14-20µm wide, 3-4:1, walls thin to firm, . Specialized asexual reproduction absent. Sexual condition polyoicous, mixed synoicous and with male-only gametangia. Seta 1-2(-3) cm. Capsule brown, elongate-pyriform, symmetric, 2-4 mm, mouth yellow; operculum conic, apiculate; peristome well developed; exostome teeth yellow basally, hyaline distally, lamellae usually straight mid tooth, pores absent along mid line; endostome not adherent to exostome, basal membrane high, 1/2 exostome height, segments with broadly ovate perforations, cilia long, appendiculate. Spores (12-) 14-18(-20) µm, finely papillose, pale brown-yellow or green.

Capsules mature May-Sep. Dry to damp soil; low to high elevations (0-3500 m); Alta., B.C., Que.; Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Maine, Minn., Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.; Eurasia.

Ptychostomum lonchocaulon is very similar to P. creberrimum, differing in sexual condition and its stronger, non-yellowish limbidium. In North America, P. lonchocaulon is primarily a western species, disjunct in Minnesota. The species has not generally been accepted by most workers, thus its world distribution is poorly known. V. I. Zolotov (2000) gave a good description of the species and its polyoicous sexual condition.