''Pyxidanthera brevifolia,'' the littleleaf pixiemoss or sandhills pyxie-moss, is a plant species known only from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. It occurs in deep, sandy soil such as sand hills and sandy ridgetops, sometimes in open pine-oak woodlands, at elevations of .Flora of North America v 8 p 337
/ref> ''Pyxidanthera brevifolia'' is closely related to the more widespread ''P. barbulata'', and some authors have suggested considering the two as a single species. For the moment, though, Flora of North America and the Kew Gardens Plant List both accept ''P. brevifolia'' as a distinct species. The two can be distinguished by the leaves. Leaves of ''P. brevifolia'' are shorter than those of ''P. barbulata'', rarely more than long. They also lack the marginal

cilia The cilium, plural cilia (), is a membrane-bound organelle found on most types of eukaryotic cell, and certain microorganisms known as ciliates. Cilia are absent in bacteria and archaea. The cilium has the shape of a slender threadlike projecti ...

characteristic of ''P. barbulata'', and are more intensely woolly on the underside.Wells, Bertram Whittier. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 44(2): 238–239, pl. 9. 1929.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16988976 Diapensiaceae Flora of North Carolina Flora of South Carolina