Hylocomiadelphus triquetrus Big Shaggy-moss

A large, dioicous pleurocarpous moss which grows in open woodland, hedgebanks, grasslands and fixed areas of sand dunes. It is has a robust, bushy growth form with red stems and triangular, spreading, chaffy leaves. It can be confused with Rhytidiadelphus loreus and Loeskyobryum brevirostre and sometimes grows with them, but the pale-coloured, chaffy leaves are quite distinctive, especially on dry plants, and it is usually larger. It is widespread in Britain except for parts of middle England and it is found throughout Wales. In West Glamorgan it is frequent in the uplands of Neath Port Talbot, particularly in banks along forest roads but it also found in grasslands in coastal areas elsewhere. Sporophyte capsules are rare.