The genus Hypnum, like other mosses that are freely branched and grow in mats, were once called Feather Mosses. This name was given due to the fact that these mosses were used to stuff pillows. The specific epithet of H. imponens refers to it as being an imposter and having a similar resemblance to H. cupressiforme. Today, H. imponens is harvested in the South Appalachian Mountains and sold in large mats to be used as backing for wreaths and créches(Anderson 1981).

Habitat
Hypnum imponens is found on rotting logs, soil, humus, rock, or bark at the base of trees in moist or wet woods(Anderson 1981).

Distribution
This moss is well distributed around eastern North America and Alaska. It is also found in northern and central Europe, Africa, and Asia(Ireland 1982).

Gametophyte Appearance
H. imponens is a robust yellow-brown to yellow-green moss found in mats. It's stems are regularly pinnate and creeping. The stem leaves are 2mm long, falcate (curved like a sickle)-secund (turned to one side), and concave. The upper cells are linear with firm walls and the alar cells are orange-brown, quadrate (square) and thick walled. The branch leaves are usually smaller with fewer quadrate alar cells(Crum 1983).

Sporophyte Appearance
H. imponens has red setae that are 10-35mm long. It has capsules that are red-brown, slightly curved, cylindrical, and 2.5-3 mm long. The operculum on the capsule has a small beak at the tip(Crum 1983). Also, the spores are yellowish and mature in late autumn or early winter.

Literature Cited

Anderson and Crum, Howard. Mosses of Eastern North America.vol II. 1981. Columbia University Press. New York. pp. 1164.

Crum, Howard. Mosses of the Great Lakes Forest third edition. 1983. University of Michigan. pp. 340.

Ireland, R. Robert. Moss Flora of the Maritime Provinces. 1982. Ottawa. National Museum of Canada. pp.608.