Identification notes
Although it looks very similar, this is a much scarcer species than R. tenella and, outside its core distribution area of south-east England, it is not well known. Finding it, therefore, can be a bit of a hit-and-miss affair, but it usually (not always!) grows on bark around the roots and bases of trees so any fine-leaved Rhynchostegiella in this habitat is always worth checking for R. litorea. The most straightforward difference from R. tenella is its papillose seta (smooth in that species), so the optimal time to look for it is in autumn through to spring when capsules are typically present. Under the microscope, there are also useful differences in the width of hairs found in the leaf axils (young leaves).
