| Fissidens celticus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Bryophyta |
| Class: | Bryopsida |
| Subclass: | Dicranidae |
| Order: | Dicranales |
| Family: | Fissidentaceae |
| Genus: | Fissidens |
| Species: | F. celticus |
| Binomial name | |
| Fissidens celticus Paton, 1965 | |
Fissidens celticus, also known by its common name Welsh pocket-moss, is a species of moss in the family Fissidentaceae . It was discovered in 1958 in Pembrokeshire by A.H. Norkett and was first described as a new species by Jean Paton in 1965. [3]
Fissidens celticus has shoots up to 4.5 millimetres (0.18 in) tall and 1–1.5 millimetres (0.039–0.059 in) wide. [4] Each shoot has many leaves, often 10 pairs or more, of equal size. [4] The nerve in each leaf runs all the way to the leaf tip and has a distinct bend about halfway along the leaf. [4] Male plants and capsules are not known, [5] and it is uncertain how the species disperses. [6]
Fissidens celticus can be distinguished from F. exilis by its longer shoots, its greater number of leaves and its lack of capsules. [4]
Fissidens celticus grows on shaded soil banks near woodland streams, especially on bare, compact patches eroded by floodwater. [4] It has an altitude range of between 5 and 300 metres (16.4 and 984 feet). [3]
Fissidens celticus is generally believed to be widespread and common within suitable localities. It is apparently endemic to western Europe and there is no evidence of population decline. [1]
The species holotype was from Hustyn Wood, St Breock, Cornwall, [6] and it is common throughout the western parts of the United Kingdom. [3] In the United Kingdom, F. celticus often associates with Calypogeia arguta , [3] Diplophyllum albicans , [3] Dicranella heteromalla , [6] Dicranella rufescens , [3] [7] Epipterygium tozeri , [3] F. bryoides , [3] Pellia epiphylla , [3] Pohlia lutescens , [3] and Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans . [3]
Fissidens celticus is most commonly found in South West England, but is also present in the south east and north west. [3]
There are records of F. celticus from Cornwall, [6] Devon, [8] Gloucestershire, [9] Kent, [10] and Sussex. [11] On the Isle of Wight, it is present in Parkhurst Forest, [12] and at Briddlesford Nature Reserve. [13] As of 2001, the only known record in Lancashire was on the River Lune Biological Heritage Site. [14]
The species can be found all across western Wales, [3] [15] including on Anglesey. [16]
Fissidens celticus is present in much of western Scotland. [3] The Tayvallich Juniper and Fen SSSI (near Tayvallich, Argyll and Bute) is noted for its oceanic bryophytes, including F. celticus. [17]
In Northern Ireland, the only known location for F. celticus is in Ness Wood ASSI in County Londonderry. [18]
Fissidens celticus has been recorded in many other countries in Europe:
In 2019, it was first reported in Turkey (and therefore in Asia). [22] It was found in Bozyazı, Mersin Province, associating with Bartramia stricta , Bryum dichotomum , Didymodon tophaceus , Targionia hypophylla and Timmiella barbuloides . [22]
Fissidens adianthoides, the maidenhair pocketmoss, is a moss in the family Fissidentaceae. It was first collected by Hedwig in 1801.
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The American Bryological and Lichenological Society is an organization devoted to the scientific study of all aspects of the biology of bryophytes and lichen-forming fungi and is one of the nation's oldest botanical organizations. It was originally known as the Sullivant Moss Society, named after William Starling Sullivant. The Society publishes a quarterly journal distributed worldwide, The Bryologist, which includes articles on all aspects of the biology of mosses, hornworts, liverworts and lichens. The Society also publishes the quarterly journal Evansia, which is intended for both amateurs and professionals in bryology and lichenology and is focused on North America.
The International Association of Bryologists (IAB), established in 1969, is a professional association promoting bryology globally for both amateurs and professionals. IAB was established in 1969 at the XI International Botanical Congress in Seattle, Washington, with the goal of increasing cooperation between professional and amateur biologists throughout the world. The organization sponsors conferences and meetings relating to bryology, and sponsors the publication of The Bryological Times and Advances of Bryology. Together with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), they compiled the first red list of endangered bryophytes in 1997.
The British Bryological Society is an academic society dedicated to bryology, which encourages the study of bryophytes. It publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of Bryology.
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Dicranella is a genus of moss belonging to the family Dicranaceae. The genus was first described by Karl Müller. It has a cosmopolitan distribution.
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Eric Vernon Watson (1914-1999) was a British bryologist.
Sphagnum contortum is a species of moss reported in North America and Europe. NatureServe marked its global conservation status as Secure.
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