General: Low growing on rock or soil, forming loose clumps of radially symmetric stems that are nearly erect and ascendingly branched, flexuous, irregularly forked, with both rhizomatous and aerial stems, with 1 branch arrested, budlike, with straight tips; rhizop. Leaves: Dimorphic, not clearly ranked, rhizomatous stem leaves persistent to deciduous, tightly appressed and scalelike, spreading only near stem tips; aerial stem leaves appressed, ascending, green, linear-lanceolate, 3-4.5 mm by 0.45-0.65 mm; ridges present below; base abruptly adnate, rounded, pubescent, margins long-ciliate, cilia white to whitish, spreading, 0.1-0.2 mm; bristle white to whitish or yellowish green near base, puberulent. Sporangia: Strobili solitary, 0.5-2.5 cm, with lanceolate sporophylls, strongly tapering toward tip, with prominent lower ridges, base glabrous, margins short-ciliate, apex long bristled. Ecology: Found on dry exposed rocks and ledges, on steep slopes, in rocky crevices thought to prefer granitic substrates from 3,000-6,000 ft (914-1829 m). Notes: The tightly imbricate and grayish green leaves with whitish margins and the long stiff, yellowish white bristle at the apex help to identify this species.

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.
Location: Bluff Trail.
1/11/17

Notes: Third image compares Rockloving Spikemoss to Arizona Spikemoss.

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