English name: Golden-head moss
A distinctive acrocarpous moss that has yellowish shoots, with hints of red and gold, that form loose patches. The red stems are covered in a brown felt of rhizoids from which spiky leaves spread widely. Individual shoots resemble bottle-brushes.
In Scotland, Breutelia chrysocoma is widespread in upland areas where it is found in mountain and moorland on open, usually unshaded, wet or flushed, acidic ground, such as rock ledges and wet moorland, and grass flushed by slightly basic water. BBS distribution map
Look out for Aneura pinguis, Campyllium stellatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Scorpidium revolvens and Tortella tortuosa nearby.
scottishlichens.co.uk 