Similar Species
Sometimes, plants of Pleurozium schreberi are similar, but they have non-cuspidate leaves and stems that are red (vs. green in P. purum). Well-developed plants of Bryoandersonia illecebra can also be confused with those of P. purum, although they are more compact, less clearly pinnate, and the leaves are conspicuously serrate (vs. entire or only weakly serrate near the leaf apex in P. purum). A single strong costa can been seen with hand lens magnification in leaves of Pseudoscleropodium and Bryoandersonia; the costa is short and double in Pleurozium.
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