Leucobryum

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Leucobryum (order Dicranales) A genus of cushion-forming mosses, found mainly in tropical regions. L. glaucum is common in Britain; it is a distinctive moss, forming pale, glaucous to greyish-green cushions which become whitish on drying. The leaves can absorb large quantities of water. The cushions are frequently attached only loosely to the ground, and often become detached to form almost spherical moss balls. Leucobryum is found in woods and on wet moors; it is calcifuge. The genus contains about 150 species.