Ceratodon purpureus is one of the most widespread and common species in the world. Almost anywhere there is some kind of soil disturbance, you will find Ceratodon. Hence, that is why I don’t like the common name as it implies it is somehow closely related to areas that have burned but it is common in so many other habitats that I think the name is very misleading. I think of it as the “dandelion” of the moss world because of it’s widespread distribution on disturbed sites.

When dry, It appears as brownish tufts on the soil, often mixed with other mosses, in the grasslands around Kamloops.

It is a troubling moss to identify using most taxonomic keys because when it is lacking capsules it does not have any really distinctive features. One taxonomic treatment I frequently used in the past had this species at the very end of the key as the default species when your specimen didn’t fit anything else in the key. I collected  this species over and over again for about 10 years before I finally realized that all this stuff I had collected in the past that I really wasn’t sure about that seemed to key out to Ceratodon purpureus was in fact, the one and the same.

When plants are moist, they often appear as short green turfs usually on bare mineral soil.

Fortunately, Ceratodon, frequently produces capsules. When young, the developing capsules are yellowish-green in colour and are often covered at the top of the capsule by a small papery covering called a calyptra. The young capsules are erect but will eventually bend horizontally when mature.

The really distinctive feature of this moss is the mature capsules and stalks that are a dark burgundy colour and are often produced in profusion.

Mature capsules are often bent at an angle and the capsule wall is often longitudinally grooved. The colour and the shape of the capsules are very distinctive and are not likely to be confused with other species of moss.

Like dandelions, you should be able to find this moss species in just about any disturbed habitat.