Identification notes
A rather distinctive-looking plant that is a frequent member of the community of small acrocarps of stubble-fields and other disturbed ground. Its stand-out feature is the conspicuously enlarged leaf base that clasps the stem as well as large round brownish rhizoidal tubers that can be seen with a hand-lens.
Trichodon cylindricus also has broad clasping leaf bases. In such cases it’s best to take some and check it under a microscope – there are important differences between the teeth on the leaf tips and the rhizoidal tubers.
Soil type can also help to point you in the right direction – Dicranella schreberiana prefers neutral or calcareous soil that doesn’t easily dry out and Trichodon cylindricus is a calcifuge, so will normally avoid soils derived from limestone or other base-rich bedrock.
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