Cypress sleepmoss
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Cypress sleep moss ( Hypnum cupressiforme ) |
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| Hypnum cupressiforme | ||||||||||||
| Hedw. s. st. |
The cypress sleep moss ( Hypnum cupressiforme ) is a common pleurocarpes (side fruited) moss that is often easy to recognize by its habitus . In the Middle Ages it was assumed that the small branches that lay down were a good sleeping aid. That is why they were also used as pillow fillings when dried. The German name is based on this former use. Hypnum comes from the Greek hypnos , which means “sleep”.
features
It is an extremely diverse and varied species that often forms extensive lawns. The plants can be heavily branched (as in the picture) or consist of thin, parallel hanging stems. Usually they have 3–10 cm long, yellowish, olive green to deep green shiny stems that look like pigtails from a distance, as the leaves are all curved downwards.
The leaves are entire or at most slightly serrated at the tip. They only have a short double rib, which is sometimes even missing. There is a group of clearly differentiated cells in the leaf wings.
The capsule stalk ( Seta ) is 1–3 cm long and arises from lateral short shoots . The red-brown, cylindrical-cylinder-like looking capsule is often inclined horizontally and has a short conical lid. The spores ripen from winter to spring.
distribution
The moss forms extensive lawns on very different substrates such as B. Earth, tree stumps, rock and wood. It often forms mass populations, especially in forests. It grows up to an altitude of 3500 m.
The cypress sleep moss is cosmopolitan .
Systematics
Because of the wealth of shapes of the species, a large number of subspecies, varieties or forms have been described. Important examples are
- var. cupressiforme (= var. uncinatum)
- robust, yellow- or gold-green, strongly branched moss with strongly curved leaves. This form often forms large stands of tree bases or rock.
- var. uncinatulum (= var. brevisetum)
- habitually similar to the previous one, but smaller, rather pale green, and with less sickle leaves.
- fo. filiforms
- grows hanging from vertical tree trunks. The stems are narrow, hardly branched and hang down parallel.
However, the taxonomic value of these subunits is controversial.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Volkmar Wirth , Ruprecht Düll : color atlas lichen and moss. Ulmer, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8001-3517-5 .
Web links
- More information with pictures
- CA Moss Database Drawing ( Memento from November 23, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- More information and photos
