''Conostomum tetragonum'', or helmet-moss, is a species of
bryophyte found in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
.
Shoots grow to a maximum height of 2 cm. Leaves are shaped like narrow spearheads and sharply pointed. Capsules are nearly spherical and 2mm long.
It thrives in acidic, rocky
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
soils, especially where there is
snow cover
Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
for a large part of the year, and on summit ridges.
It grows in continental Europe and in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. This species became extinct in England in the 1950s.
References
Bartramiales
Flora of Europe
{{Bryophyte-stub