Plants: small to medium-sized, delicate, scattered or in lax tufts, yellowish to light green. Stems: 1â3 cm, weakly erect to procumbent, simple, tomentose proximally. Leaves: erect when dry, erect-spreading when moist, lanceolate, 0.5â1.5 mm; margins plane to narrowly revolute, bluntly serrulate nearly to base, teeth single, projecting from distal ends of marginal cells; apex acuminate; costa excurrent, distal abaxial surface rough; laminal cells quadrate to rectangular, less than 5:1, prorulose at distal or sometimes proximal ends on abaxial side, prorulae not conspicuous, sometimes obscure, few; basal cells short-rectangular to quadrate, shorter, broader than distal, 40 à 7 µm; medial and distal cells oblong, 10â30 à 5â7 µm. Specialized: asexual reproduction absent. Sexual: condition dioicous; perigonia discoid. Seta: 2â3 cm, straight or flexuose. Capsule: 1.3â2 mm. Spores: subreniform, 20â26 µm. Phenology: Capsules mature AprâAug. Habitat: Moist sandy soil, humus, rock ledges, shady habitats Elevation: low to high elevations (50-2300 m) Distribution: B.C., Alaska, Calif., Idaho, Oreg., Wash., Europe, sw Asia.
Discussion: Philonotis capillaris is distinguished by the unpaired teeth of the leaf margin that project from the distal ends of the cells and by the relatively short laminal cells with prorulae at the distal ends. In the flora area, the species is of restricted distribution, limited to Pacific coastal habitats from Alaska to California with incursions eastward to the western slopes of the Idaho Rockies. The species is associated with an oceanic climate.