Identification notes
Easily recognised as a Schistidium and, fortunately for the bryologist, distinctive in appearance and habitat. Its habitat of bouldery upland watercourses sets it apart from all other Schistidium species, except for S. rivulare (common) and S. agassizii (rare). Although the two latter species are distinctive in lacking hairpoints, S. platyphyllum either has no hairpoint or a short and weak-looking one that’s easily overlooked.
S. rivulare sometimes grows in the same places as S. platyphyllum, although it does not usually favour the strongly calcareous situations preferred by that species. To tell them apart most reliably, check the stem leaves and the capsule: S. platyphyllum has slightly keeled leaves and thin-walled oblong exothecial cells in the central and lower parts of the urn whereas S. rivulare has strongly keeled leaves and short, thick-walled exothecial cells. S. platyphyllum is also usually a more compact looking plant than S. rivulare and its capsules are normally more conspicuous as they are barely hidden by the perichaetial leaves (there are some good images below).
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