Tufted thread moss (Bryum caespiticeum) is one of the most common mosses in BC. It is very common on disturbed soil where it produces small to large colonies of small shoots less than a centimeter tall surrounded by a clump of sharply pointed leaves.

The leaves are only one-cell thick with a midrib that extends past the tip of the leaf as a sharp point. The plants often have a shiny appearance because the individual leaf cells have a smooth cell wall surface. Other species of mosses that have a dull appearance, often have cell walls that are covered in small bumps called papillae.

Moss capsules are common. They hang downwards and the opening is surrounded by teeth that open and close with changes in the humidity and aid in the dispersal of moss spores.

The spores are a result of sexual reproduction. Unlike vascular plants which produce pollen, mosses produce sperm in banana-shaped structures like the one shown below called antheridia. A film of water is required to allow the sperm to reach the egg cells that are stored in separate flask-shaped structures called archegonia. Once fertilized, the egg cell will divide and eventually produce the capsule containing the mature moss spores.

For only about $40 US, you can buy a package of ground up tufted thread moss on Amazon.com that will cover about 5 square feet of ground!