Plant Guide > Mosses and Lichens > Mosses > Genus Pottia

Genus Pottia

Genus PottiaGenus POTTIA, Ehrh.

The species of this genus are small and grow in tufts or cushions on the ground or in crevices of rocks. The stems are simple or sparingly branched from the base. The leaves are oval to oblong and obovate, soft, opaque, smooth or covered with tiny projections; the apex is usually taper-pointed, or hair-pointed ; the base transparent ; the vein round in section.

The cylindrical to obovate spore-case has sometimes a very short pedicel and sometimes a long one. The peristome may have imperfect teeth or none or sixteen tiny flat ones.

There are about eighty-three species in all, fourteen in North America.

The genus was named for Professor D. F. Pott, a German botanist.












Pottia Truncata