English name: Small hairy screw-moss
An acrocarpous moss that forms bright, yellow-green patches that become greyish when dry. The leaves spread when moist and twist when dry. Each leaf is constricted just below the middle and has a blunt, rounded tip. The leaf margins may be slightly recurved in the middle. The leaf tips may carry a long, silvery hairpoint and leaf-like gemmae. Capsules are cylindrical.
Capsules mature in spring and summer
In Scotland, Syntrichia laevipila has a mainly lowland distribution where it is found on tree species including elm, ash, willow and old elder, and occasionally on walls and rocks. BBS distribution map
Look out for Frullania dilatata, Homalothecium sericeum, Metzgeria furcata and Orthotrichum lyelii nearby.
scottishlichens.co.uk 