English name: Pellucid four-tooth moss
A distinctive, but small acrocarpous species with upright shoots that are yellow-green when moist, but become bluish green when dry. When moist, the circular to egg-shaped leaves are held away from the stem. Non-fertile shoots are often tipped with cups that hold disc-shaped gemmae. Fertile shoots have longer, narrower leaves.
Capsules mature throughout the year.
In Scotland, Tetraphis pellucida is widespread on humid, acidic substrates such as well-rotten stumps and wood, and living trees in wet alder woodland. BBS distribution map
Look out for Lepidozia reptans, Nowellia curvifolia and Orthodontium lineare nearby.
scottishlichens.co.uk 