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A. abietina has two currently recognised subspecies, both of which can be found in the UK, although with slightly different distribution patterns. The official subspecies are A. abietina var. abietina and A. abietina var. histricosa, they are visually distinguishable at the macroscopic level, although hybrids showing intermediate characteristics also exist. These subspecies were previously considered separate species, and are still occasionally referred to as Thuidium abietinum (Fir Tamarisk Moss), and Thuidium hystricosa (Prickly Tamarisk Moss) respectively (BIBS, n.d). 

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Appearance and Identification

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​A. abietina​ is a pleurocarpous moss and therefore, grows in mats or felts of highly branched horizontal stems. However, it is only capable of forming large mats in high quality habitat, and so it is common to see it instead as scattered shoots (BIBS, n.d). It very rarely forms capsules, but if produced they are cylindrical. The stem is darker than the branches, usually starting as a green, or dark brown colour, which then fades to green or yellow at the tips. The shoot is usually 2-8cm tall (Holyoak, n.d.), with an overall pinnate shape consisting of branches arranged into four rows, across two planes (Lawley, 2010). Both the stem and branch leaves are ovate with pointed tips and a nerve running vertically up about three quarters of the leaf, additionally, the stem leaves are larger than the branch ones (Lawley, 2010).

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var. abietina: Shorter (1-1.5mm) with more finely pointed leaves which are tightly pressed towards the stem​. It has longer, narrower branches with a smooth cylindrical appearance (Lawley, 2010). British and Irish specimens do produce sporophytes, but only on rare occassions.

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var. histricosa: Longer (1.6-2mm) leaves which lie loosely along the stem. Its branches appear more jagged than those of var. abietina and have a shorter, more stout appearance (Lawley, 2010). British and Irish specimens have yet to be observed with sporophytes (Hill et al., 2017).

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Similar species: 

• Helodium blandowii - Regionally extinct in the UK and Ireland (Hill et al., 2017).

• Palustriella decipiens - Has curved leaves, is only found in Scotland and favours water-logged habitats near streams, whereas A. abietina is associated with dry soils and found throughout the UK (Blockeel, 2010; Hill et al., 2017). 

• Thuidium tamariscinum - Is tripinnate and has its branches arranged across just one plane, giving it a much more feathery appearance than A. abietina (Lawley, 2010). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Distribution

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​​A. abietina can be found across most of Europe, with its range starting in Iceland and extending east into Russia, north as far as Svalbard, and into all but the most southern parts of Spain, Italy and Greece. Its distribution then continues into Asia, reaching east into Asian Russia, and Turkey, and heading south towards Armenia, Georgia, and Tajikistan, but not including Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan. It is generally found in either temperate shrublands, temperate grasslands or rocky area's, between 0-1400 m.a.s.l (Erata et al., 2020; Hallingbäck, 2016; Ignatov et al., 2006).

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It occurs throughout the UK in both coastal and inland sites, however, it is most common in the South East, with the number of recorded sightings decreasing as you travel north. This is likely because, while var. abietina is evenly dispersed across the island var. hystricosa is found almost exclusively in the southern regions. This contrasts with Ireland, where the species has so far only been found in coastal areas, mostly along the north-west coast, with no confirmed occurrences south of Dublin. Additionally, var. hystricosa is the more common subspecies, comprising the majority of Irish sightings (NBN Trust, 2025a), (NBN Trust, 2025b).  

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Within Kent chalky grasslands and old quarries, particularly those which are dry and south facing, are the best places to find this species (BIBS, n.d; Wigginton, 2014). In fact, all of Jan's A. abietina specimens were collected from chalky grasslands or quarries.

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UK Altitudinal Range: 0-850m (var. abietina), 0-213m (var. hystricosa) (Hill et al., 2017).

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Habitat and Ecology

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A. abietina is a perennial species, meaning it can be spotted at any time of year (Hill et al., 2017).

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It thrives in areas which are well-lit and relatively dry, with mildly acidic and nitrogen poor soils. It can be found on the following substrates; soil, soil covered rocks, gravel and sand, and primarily grows in calcareous coastal dune, and dry grassland habitats, but may also be seen more industrial areas, such as chalk quarries and mines (Hill et al., 2017; Wigginton, 2014). There are some reports of this species growing in limestone based soils and in Dryas heath communities, but this seems to be restricted to the more northern parts of its range (Wigginton, 2014). Although the global A. abietina population is not currently considered threatened, post-grazing vegetation succession, and scrub encroachment of coastal dunes have begun to cause reductions in available habitat, and population declines (Hallingbäck, 2016). 
 

Associated Species: Campyliadelphus chrysophyllus, Ditrichum gracile, Entodon concinnus, Fissidens dubius,Homalothecium lutescens, Trichostomum crispulum. If searching within sand dunes Rhynchostegium megapolitanum and Tortella inclinata may also be found alongside A. abietina (Wigginton, 2014).

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Regional Threat Level

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​​British Red List: Both subspecies are ranked as Least Concern (Callaghan, 2022) which matches their global red list ranking (see above). Populations of A. abietina are believed to have declined slightly over recent years, but the population is now thought to be stable (Callaghan, 2022). It is also considered a nationally scarce species (Pescott, 2016), thought to occupy around 64 hectads in Britain (Callaghan, 2023).

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Irish Red List: Var. abietina is considered Endangered due to its small area of occupancy and limited subpopulations, both of        which are undergoining continuing decline (Hodgetts & Lockhart, 2025). It is also considered nationally rare in Ireland as it is found in just two hectads (Hodgetts & Lockhart, 2013). On the other hand var. hystricosa is much more common, categorised as Near Threatened on the regional red list due to threats to its habitat (Hodgetts & Lockhart, 2025), and is neither nationally rare or scarce (Hodgetts & Lockhart, 2013). However, the species as a whole is also a Northern Irish Priority species (Hodgetts & Lockhart, 2025).