Identification notes
This striking species is one of our largest terrestrial mosses, and also one of the easiest for beginners to get to grips with. No microscope needed!
It forms pale green or golden-brown, fluffy-looking patches of tall erect shoots in grassland, woodland and scrub on moist, basic soil. It prefers quite a sheltered spot, hence its preference for north-facing grassy slopes, scrub and open woodland.
Formerly known as Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, recent molecular studies have shown this distinctive moss to be closer to Hylocomium, and as a result it was transferred to Hylocomiadelphus (not to be confused with Hylocomiastrum).
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