English name: Starry hoar-moss
An acrocarpous moss with irregularly branched shoots that forms loose tufts or patches that are glaucous green or brownish when moist and become pale grey when dry. The concave and oval leaves lack a nerve and tend to have a wide, colourless tip that forms a characteristic white triangle. When dry, this tip becomes reflexed or recurved, giving the shoot tip a starry appearance. The capsules are held on a very short seta so that they are almost hidden between leaves.
Capsules mature in spring and summer.
In Scotland, Hedwigia stellata has a scattered, upland distribution where it grows on dry, sunny, south- or west-facing rock and boulders on moors, mountains and riverbanks. BBS distribution map
Look out for Andreaea rupestris, Grimmia trichophylla, Racomitrium fasciculare and Racomitrium heterostichum nearby.
Confusion species: Racomitrium heterostichum and Racomitrium canescens
scottishlichens.co.uk 