| Three-ranked hump-moss | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Bryophyta |
| Class: | Bryopsida |
| Subclass: | Bryidae |
| Order: | Splachnales |
| Family: | Meesiaceae |
| Genus: | Meesia |
| Species: | M. triquetra |
| Binomial name | |
| Meesia triquetra | |
Meesia triquetra, the three-ranked hump-moss, [1] is a moss that occurs all around the northern hemisphere in higher latitudes.
Meesia triqueta grows in small tufts or cushions. The plants, often large, are acrocarpous and dioicous. In color they are dark-green to grass-green above, occasionally red-brown below due to dense rhizoids. The plant's stems are not branched or little branched, pale-brown to yellow-brown, closely foliate, and 2–14 cm high. Its leaves are decurrent, squarrose (spreading) when moist, triangular to ovate to lanceolate, somewhat crispate (contorted), 2–3½ mm long, and tristichous (in three obvious ranks). The leaf margins are sharply serrate or denticulate to the base or nearly so, plane or sometimes recurved in the middle of the leaf. The costa is relatively narrow (less than 1/5 the width of the leaf base), subpercurrent to percurrent, gradually tapering at distal end. The leaf's apex is acute to acuminate (sharply pointed). The lamina is unistratose throughout. The perigonia of Meesia triqueta' are terminal in discoid heads. The seta is straight and smooth, brown to yellow-brown, and very long (4–10 cm). The capsule is asymmetrical, somewhat pyriform, 2¾–5½ mm long including the neck; the hypophysis (neck) is long (comprising up to ½ of capsule length), moderately well-defined, not much wrinkled when dry; the urn is oblong to short-cylindric, arcuate and asymmetric, brown to yellow-brown, up to 4 mm long, and when dry, wrinkled but not regularly sulcate. The operculum is short-conic; the endostome cilia are often rather well-developed. The plant's spores are finely papillose. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Meersia triquetra is easily recognized by its distinct three-ranked leaf arrangement and for being dioicous. It may be distinguished from M. uliginosa by its squarrose leaves; narrow costa relative to the size of the leaf base; serrate, planar leaf margins; and acute leaf tips. In contrast, M. uliginosa a wide (up to 1/3 of the leaf base) costa, entire, revolute leaf margins, and blunt apices. Other Meesia species also have blunt apices. [4] [5] [6] [7]
This species has a circumboreal distribution: it is found in Northern Europe, northern Asia, Greenland, Canada, and the northern United States, Some discoveries have been reported from Oceania. [3] [6]
These mosses occur in wetland sites, specifically, within wet woods in the wettest portions of what are called "extreme rich fens" (i.e., fens having surface waters with high pH and calcium concentrations). Montagnes describes this species as a "rich fen indicator of high fidelity." Associates include Scorpidium spp. and Drepanocladus revolvens . [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [8]
The fire ecology of this plant is not known; however, fens rarely burn. Excess soot from a nearby fire, however, might negatively affect habitat quality. Fire return intervals in conifer bogs, a somewhat similar mire-type habitat, are estimated to be about once every 150–200 years. Fire does significant damage to peat, but the bog must be dry (as during a drought year) in order to burn; typically, bogs are not dry enough. [9]
U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region Sensitive Species.
California Native Plant Society List 4.2
NatureServe California State Rank: S2.2; Global Rank: G5
Fens are delicate habitats susceptible to impacts from livestock grazing, hydrologic alteration, construction and continued use of roads, and peat mining. [10] Rich fen habitats are especially susceptible to modification. The surface water chemistry of rich fens is sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic influences. This species has reached near extinction in Europe. [6]
Fissidens adianthoides, the maidenhair pocketmoss, is a moss in the family Fissidentaceae. It was first collected by Hedwig in 1801.
Monoicy is a sexual system in haploid plants where both sperm and eggs are produced on the same gametophyte, in contrast with dioicy, where each gametophyte produces only sperm or eggs but never both. Both monoicous and dioicous gametophytes produce gametes in gametangia by mitosis rather than meiosis, so that sperm and eggs are genetically identical with their parent gametophyte.
Polytrichum commune is a species of moss found in many regions with high humidity and rainfall. The species can be exceptionally tall for a moss with stems often exceeding 30 cm (12 in) though rarely reaching 70 cm (27.5 in), but it is most commonly found at shorter lengths of 5 to 10 cm. It is widely distributed throughout temperate and boreal latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and also found in Mexico, several Pacific Islands including New Zealand, and also in Australia. It typically grows in bogs, wet heathland and along forest streams. Additionally, class Polytrichopsida has been shown to thrive in partially open habitats that have been recently disturbed by human activities or even livestock.
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.
Helodium blandowii, also known as Blandow's helodium moss, Blandow's tamarisk-moss, Blandow's bogmoss, and Blandow's feathermoss, is a rare plant in the Western U.S., including Oregon and California. It occurs all around the northern hemisphere in higher latitudes, and in some places is not as rare as in the Western U.S.
Meesia uliginosa, the broad-nerved hump-moss, is a rare moss of the Western U.S. It occurs all around the northern hemisphere in higher latitudes, and in some places is not as rare as in the Western U.S.
Ptilidium californicum, the Pacific fuzzwort, is a rare liverwort of the western United States.
Ceratodon purpureus is a dioicous moss with a color ranging from yellow-green to red. The height amounts to 3 centimeters. It is found worldwide, mainly in urban areas and next to roads on dry sand soils. It can grow in a very wide variety of habitats, from polluted highway shoulders and mine tailings to areas recently denuded by wildfire to the bright slopes of Antarctica. Its common names include redshank, purple forkmoss, ceratodon moss, fire moss, and purple horn toothed moss.
Aulacomnium palustre, the bog groove-moss or ribbed bog moss, is a moss that is nearly cosmopolitan in distribution. It occurs in North America, Hispaniola, Venezuela, Eurasia, and New Zealand. In North America, it occurs across southern arctic, subboreal, and boreal regions from Alaska and British Columbia to Greenland and Quebec. Documentation of ribbed bog moss's distribution in the contiguous United States is probably incomplete. It is reported sporadically south to Washington, Wyoming, Georgia, and Virginia.
Hypnum cupressiforme, the cypress-leaved plaitmoss or hypnum moss, is a common and widespread species of moss belonging to the genus Hypnum. It is found in all continents except Antarctica and occurs in a wide variety of habitats and climatic zones. It typically grows on tree trunks, logs, walls, rocks and other surfaces. It prefers acidic environments and is fairly tolerant of pollution. It was formerly used as a filling for pillows and mattresses; the association with sleep is the origin of the genus name Hypnum.
Marchantia polymorpha is a species of large thalloid liverwort in the class Marchantiopsida. M. polymorpha is highly variable in appearance and contains several subspecies. This species is dioicous, having separate male and female plants. M. polymorpha has a wide distribution and is found worldwide. Common names include common liverwort or umbrella liverwort.
Zygodon gracilis, the slender yokemoss, is a moss species in the genus Zygodon. It is a rare lithophyte found to only grow on certain localities of limestone outcrops that has high calcium carbonate content. The current global conservation status of Z. gracilis is considered to be "imperiled".
Racomitrium lanuginosum is a widespread species of moss found in montane and arctic tundra, the genus Racomitrium is found across the Northern and Southern hemispheres., however Racomitrium lanuginosum is only found in the Northern hemisphere. It grows as large mats on exposed rock and in boulder scree, particularly on acidic rocks. Its leaves have a characteristically decurrent and toothed hair-point, which gives rise to its regional common names woolly fringemoss, hoary rock-moss and woolly moss.
Warnstorfia exannulata is a leafy branching wetland moss in the genus Warnstorfia within the family Amblystegiaceae and class Bryopsida. This bryopsida moss is also known as ringless-hook moss or Warnstorfia moss. It is the most common species of the genus in wetland environments and can be difficult to distinguish from others within the genus. It grows in acidic soils like fens and bogs, or in freshwater pools and lakes.
Polytrichum strictum, commonly known as bog haircap moss or strict haircap, is an evergreen and perennial species of moss native to Sphagnum bogs and other moist habitats in temperate climates. It has a circumboreal distribution, and is also found in South America and Antarctica.
Petalophyllum, or petalwort, is a genus of liverworts in the order Fossombroniales.
Warnstorfia fluitans, the floating hook-moss or water hook-moss, is a species of moss found in acidic habitats across all continents except Antarctica.
Plagiomnium cuspidatum, also known as toothed or “baby-tooth” plagiomnium moss and woodsy thyme-moss, is a species of thyme-moss that originated in North America, but can now also be found throughout Middle America, Africa, Northern and Southern Asia, and Europe.
Polytrichastrum formosum, commonly known as the bank haircap moss, is a species of moss belonging to the family Polytrichaceae.
Polytrichum piliferum, the bristly haircap, is an evergreen perennial species of moss in the family Polytrichaceae. The bristly haircap moss is small-sized to medium-sized and forms loose tufts with wine-reddish stems. It is an acrocarpous moss that appears bluish-green to grey. This moss grows in clumps on erect shoots and becomes a red-brown colour as it grows older. The most distinguishing feature of P. piliferum is the long, white awn at the tips of the leaves, which also give this moss its grey colour. It is the only species in its genus where the awn is completely hyaline.
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