WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Common and widespread throughout the UK. Habitat incudes: base-rich to slightly acidic soils, grassland, woodland clearings, wasteland, trees, logs, fences, walls, roofs, rocks. Grows in tufts or patches, with stems mostly 1 to 3 cm tall. Dry plants usually have corkscrew-like shoots, with leaves spirally twisted around the stem. However, in some populations the dry shoots have leaves that are straight or only slightly twisted. The broad leaves are 2 to 5 mm long and widest at or above the halfway point. The margins are narrowly recurved and have a well-defined border of narrow cells. The nerve extends into a fine, pale green hair point, which can be short or quite long. B. capillare is dioecious. The large (3.5 to 5 mm long), cylindrical, drooping capsules ripen in spring and summer, and are borne on reddish setae.