Hedwigia stellata Starry Hoar-moss

An autoicous, irregularly-branched, acrocarpus moss which grows on exposed south or west-facing acidic, siliceous or igneous rocks, cliffs and scree. When dry the white, triangular tip of the leaf becomes recurved or reflexed giving the shoots a starry, grey appearance. It is very similar to the much rarer Hedwigia ciliata and can only be distinguished from it after microscopic examination of the leaf cells (see description of that species); the cells of Hedwigia ciliata in mid leaf rarely have more than one papilla per cell (see photo). It has a western and northern distribution in Britain but it is rather uncommon in south Wales and it is only found in Gower in West Glamorgan. Sporophyte capsules are frequent in spring and summer.