English name: Ostrich-plume feather-moss
A distinctive pleurocarpous moss with large, light green, erect or ascending shoots that are regularly pinnately branched and look feather-like. Lower down the stem branches are all the same length, but these become shorter towards the tip. The leaves taper from a broad base to a long, slender point which curves to one side, giving the leaf a hooked appearance.
In Scotland, Ptilium crista-castrensis is mainly found in The Highlands where it is characteristic of Scottish pinewoods, upland oakwood and birchwood, and north- and east-facing heathery slopes. BBS distribution map
Look out for Hylocomium splendens, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi and Rhytiadelphus loreus nearby.
scottishlichens.co.uk 