Distichium Bruch & W. P. Schimper, 1846.



Distichium is a plant of high elevation rock crevices, but it may even be found on wet soil in alpine sites. It can be identified by the combination of subulate leaves on an erect and unbranched plant. The shiny nature of the exposed leaf bases make the two-ranked leaf arrangement especially obvious.

Key to Distichium

Mosses included in this key are subulate leaved acrocarps with distichous leaves. Other plants with two-ranked leaves are routed through the Key to Fissidens Etc. Distichium capillaceum is common on soil in riparian areas, seeps and springs especially associated with Betula occidentalis in eastern California.

Species included are in Ditrichaceae:
Distichium capillaceum (Hedwig) Bruch & W. P. Schimper
Distichium inclinatum (Hedwig) Bruch & W. P. Schimper

A. Plant evenly and uniformly distichous; capsule erect and symmetric; spores 17-20 µm; plant paroicous .....Distichium capillaceum
A. Plant obviously distichous but with some portions of that plant rather obscurely so; capsule inclined and asymmetric; spores 30-40 µm; plant autoicous .....Distichium inclinatum