Identification notes
If you are fortunate enough to find hoary tufts of Pterygoneurum ovatum, you’ll almost certainly be on hands and knees in nice calcareous habitat, where other scarce Pottiaceous mosses are also likely to be found. You’ll probably also feel very pleased with yourself as this really is a very special little moss. The leaves of Pterygoneurum have a really distinctive structure – in the upper part of the leaf, the nerve develops 2-4 green wing-like flaps (lamellae) on the ventral side. Whilst unmistakeable, leaves are very concave and so often do not lie flat on a slide, so the lamellae aren’t always obvious unless the upper leaf is sectioned.
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