| 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.
Bryology is the branch of botany concerned with the scientific study of bryophytes. Bryologists are people who have an active interest in observing, recording, classifying or researching bryophytes. The field is often studied along with lichenology due to the similar appearance and ecological niche of the two organisms, even though bryophytes and lichens are not classified in the same kingdom.
Fissidens hydropogon is a species of moss in the family Fissidentaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Thamnobryum angustifolium, the Derbyshire feathermoss, is a species of moss in the Neckeraceae family. It is endemic to Derbyshire, England, being restricted to a single SSSI, where the main colony covers about 3 square metres (32 sq ft) of a single rock face, with small subsidiary colonies nearby. Threats include disturbance from cavers and climbers, collection by bryologists, pollution of the spring in which it grows, and desiccation during periods of drought. Its natural habitat is rivers.
Ilma Grace Stone, née Balfe, was an Australian botanist who specialised in bryology. She was an author, collector, and researcher of Australian mosses, a subject on which she lectured and wrote.
Didymodon mamillosus, commonly known as Perthshire beardmoss, is a species of moss endemic to Europe. It occurs at only five sites including one in Scotland where it is classified as "Critically Endangered". The other sites are in Iceland, Germany, the Czech Republic and in north-east Spain.
Anthoceros agrestis, commonly called field hornwort, is a bryophyte of the family Anthocerotaceae.
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.
Ditrichum cornubicum, commonly known as the Cornish path-moss, is a moss endemic to Cornwall, United Kingdom. First discovered in 1963, on a roadside west of Lanner, Cornwall by Jean Paton, it has since been found in two other places within Cornwall. It was published as new to science in 1976.
Rhizomnium punctatum, also called dotted thyme-moss, is a small species in the genus Rhizomnium.
Dicranella is a genus of moss belonging to the family Dicranaceae. The genus was first described by Karl Müller. It has a cosmopolitan distribution.
Martha Elizabeth Newton was a British bryologist and botanist, specialising in cytology and field surveying.
Eric Vernon Watson (1914–1999) was a British bryologist. His book British Mosses and Liverworts was for many years the standard work on the bryophyte flora for the British Isles.
Fissidens elegans is a species of moss belonging to the family Fissidentaceae.
Fissidens usambaricus is a species of moss belonging to the family Fissidentaceae. It is known from Sub-Saharan Africa. In Angola, it has been reported to grow in lowland rainforests.
Ditrichum plumbicola, also known as lead moss, is a moss species known for growing in lead rich soils. It was formally described by Alan Crundwell in 1976.
Jean Annette Paton is a British botanist, bryologist and botanical illustrator. She has written many books on the bryology of the United Kingdom and the flora of Cornwall, and described several new species.
Fissidens microstictus is an extinct species of moss in the family Fissidentaceae. It was endemic to Madeira, Portugal. The species was last seen in 1982 but was considered extinct by 1992 due to construction in its natural habitat.
