Specimen #4 Leucibryn Glaucum

Figure 1: Cushion Moss Leaf. Magnification
at 4x. As you can see there is no midrib
present.

Figure 2: Magnification of the cushion moss at
10x. Shows the color very well and the shape
of the leafs. you can really tell how long they
can get through this magnification. 

Name:  Leucobryn Glaucum
Common Name: White Cushion Moss
Family: Leucobryaceae
Collected Date: 9/8/16
Habitat:Grows in moist woods or marshes. Basically anywhere there is shade and water. White cushion moss can be found growing on soil, rotted logs based off of living or dead tree trunks or rock ledges.
Location: Nelsons Ledges
Description: Can be white, grayish, or bluish-green and can grow to be about 1-3 inches tall. they usually grow in big clumps or balls. They do not have roots or flowers. Since they do not have roots they absorb water up through its leaves like a sponge. They have spore stalks that are known as their reproductive structures. 
Key Used:Karl B Mcknight, Joseph R Rohrer, Kirsten Mcknight Ward, and Warren J. Perdrizet. 2013. Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians.
Keying Steps:
Step 1: I identified this particular sample as Arocarp
Step 2: There was no midrib present and the leaf was lanced
Step 3: The color of the sample played a major role in the identification of this specimen. These colors were white and a palish blue-green
Step 4: Do not contain capsules

From this information I can conclude that the sample moss present was Leucobryn Glaucum. The main identifiers that support this is how they were clumped together, had a white and palish blue-green look to it, was about 1-3 inches tall and there was no midrib present in the leaf.

Leucobryn Glaucum Links:
http://www2.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/white_cushion_moss.htm