English name: Dense fringe-moss
An acrocarpous species with upright shoots that has numerous short branches and sprawls flatly across substrata. The leaves are rough, have a nerve that clearly reaches the leaf tip, and may have a short hairpoint.
Capsules mature in winter.
In Scotland, Racomitrium ericoides is widespread on open gravelly soils such as forestry tracks and old quarries. BBS distribution map
Look out for Calliergonella cuspidata, Pogonatum urnigerum, Pohlia annotina and Polytrichum junipericum nearby.
scottishlichens.co.uk 