Pogonatum nanum Dwarf Haircap

A dioicous, acrocarpous moss which is similar to Pogonatum aloides and grows in similar places (see description of that species). Reliable identification requires the availability of sporophyte capsules, which are short and spherical and diffrent in shape to those of Pogonatum aloides (see photo). It is a rather scarce species in Britain and has been lost from most of its sites in lowland England. It is sparsely scattered in Wales and is only found in a few sites in Gower and nowhere else in West Glamorgan. Sporophyte capsules are common in winter and spring.