Bartramia fontana var. pumila Turner, Muscol. Hibern. Spic., 107, plate 10, fig. 1. 1804

Plants small. Stems 1-6 cm. Leaves with distalmost not spiraled around stem, stiffly erect, sometimes somewhat secund, crowded to distant, lanceolate, not plicate. Capsule 1-2 mm.

Capsules mature Jun-Aug. Seepage slopes, along creeks, clay, silt, intermixed with other bryophytes; low to high elevations (0-3300 m); Alta., B.C., Man., N.S., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Yukon; Alaska, Calif., Colo., Minn., Mont., Oreg., Tenn., Wash., Wyo.; c, n Europe; c, sw Asia; Atlantic Islands (Iceland).

Variety pumila is diminutive and typically grows in dense mats or sods; the stems are tightly interlaced with tomentum. The stiffly erect leaves that are neither catenulate nor spiraled aid in its identification. The range is arctic-alpine. This variety is a characteristic member of bog communities throughout the Arctic tundra and taiga.