Identification notes
The usual habitat of this moss is on rocks and boulders in the north and west, although it is never a particularly common plant. The cushions tend to be more spreading than the other commonly saxicolous Orthotrichums, O.anomalum and O.cupulatum. O.anomalum has exserted capsules, and those of O.cupulatum have a calyptra that is only very sparsely hairy as opposed to L.rupestris whose very hairy calyptra is one of the most characteristic features. If the capsules have all shed their calyptrae the plant can still be recognised by the smooth capsules with eight exostome teeth.
Ulotas also have a very hairy calyptra, but it is unusual to find Ulotas on rock, and they have exserted capsules with very curled up leaves when dry.
Being a Lewinskya, it has superficial stomata.
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