Waved Silk-moss - Plagiothecium undulatum

Description

A large and conspicuous moss, with pale green, sparsely branched shoots, several centimetres long, commonly 5 to 6 mm wide, that are more or less flattened in one plane and often project outwards. The leaves are about 3 mm long, and conspicuously wavy when either moist or dry. The nerve is short and double. Capsules are uncommon.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

On acidic soil, wood, rocks and in turf; in deciduous woodland, conifer plantations, heathland, and amongst boulders in block scree. P. undulatum also frequently grows in blanket bogs.

UK Status

Frequent and widespread in Britain.

VC55 Status

Records for Leicestershire and Rutland are concentrated in north west Leicestershire.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Waved Silk-moss
Species group:
moss
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Hypnales
Family:
Plagiotheciaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
10
First record:
07/03/2009 (Woodward, Steve)
Last record:
22/03/2025 (Isabel Raval)

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% of records within its species group

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