Dicranum ontariense (formerly listed as Dicranum drummondii) is known by several common names. Some of them are Ontario Dicranum moss, Broom moss, and Forked moss.

Location and distribution: It is found on sandy soil in dry forests. Endemic to North America; Alberta and Montana to Newfoundland, south to Wisconsin, Ohio, and North Carolina (Crum 1983). In Ohio, it is in 14 counties with the majority being in the unglaciated counties (Snider and Andreas 1996).

Gametophyte appearance: dull green or yellow-brown in tufts. Leaves flexuose-spreading and sometimes +/- secund, strongly contorted when dry. Lower leaf cells elongate, slightly porose; alter cells yellow-brown, not extending to the costa. Male plants are dwarfed.

Sporophyte appearance: Setae usually clustered, 1-3 per perichaetium, capsules 2-2.5mm long, horizontal, strongly curved and asymmetric, furrowed, not strumose. Annulus of 2 rows of cells, fragmenting; operculum 2.5-3mm long (Crum 1983).

Interesting facts: The different common names come from the different structures and growth habits of the plant. The name "forked moss" is from the fact that Dicranium's peristome teeth are forked. It is called a "broom moss" because the leaves looked like they were brushed in one direction. This is a moss that need vernalization, a cold period to switch from vegetative growth to sporophyte production (M.C.F Proctor 2002).

Literature Cited
Crum, Howard. 1983. Mosses of the Great Lakes Forest. University of Michigan Press.
Snider, J. and Andreas, B. 1996. A Catalog and Atlas of the Mosses of Ohio. Ohio Biological Survey.
Christianson, M.L. 2002. Control of Morphogenesis in bryophytes. In: Bryophyte Biology. Eds: Shaw, A.J. & Goffinet B. Cambridge University Press.

Written by David Thornton 2003