Extended serrated cap
| Extended serrated cap | ||||||||||||
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Niphotrichum elongatum |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Niphotrichum elongatum | ||||||||||||
| ( Stylish ) Bednarek-Ochyra & Ochyra |
The extended serrated cap ( Niphotrichum elongatum , syn .: Racomitrium elongatum ), also extended serrated cap moss , got its name because of the heavily slashed capsule hood and the long glass hair. The deciduous moss is of particular ecological importance, as it serves as a water reservoir and erosion inhibitor in dry, nutrient-poor and sandy locations. It can absorb dew and moisture through its glass hair. It also functions as a habitat for many small animals.
Identifying features
The upright, yellow-green colored plants can be up to 7 cm long. The moss mostly grows in small populations . The lanceolate leaves, gradually tapering to a sharp point, are dry lying and curved back when moist. In the upper part they appear keeled. The clearly papillary lamina cells are short rectangular to sub-square. They are about 8 to 18 µm long and 6 to 10 µm wide. The cell wall in between is characteristically indented or knotty. The leaf wing cells located on the leaf base in 3 to 5 rows appear to be rounded and inflated. The unbranched leaf vein extends to the tip of the leaf. The papillary, strongly toothed glass hairs are curved back dry and upright when moist. The smooth, reddish-yellow colored Seta has elongated capsules that develop spores about 10 µm in size, which are formed during the winter months. However, in the last few decades the development of sporogons has decreased. There is a risk of confusion with Niphotrichum canescens , which, however, has a short, branching midrib, shorter glass hairs, more feathery branching and mostly grows on rock.
Occurrence
The extended serrated cap populates light, sunny, nutrient, lime and base poor, dry to fresh, sandy locations. However, it also occurs on humus overgrounded rocks, in poor grassland and ruderally along nutrient-poor gravel sands. Typical accompanying mosses are Ceratodon purpureus , Hypnum lacunosum or Polytrichum piliferum . Its populations are particularly threatened by eutrophication and the destruction of heather communities. The increasing air pollution is also causing problems for the moss. In some federal states it is on the red list. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania it is classified as endangered.
The species belongs to the species complex Niphotrichum canescens s. l. which occurs throughout Eurasia and North America.
literature
- Jan-Peter Frahm , Wolfgang Frey : Moosflora (= UTB . 1250). 4th, revised and expanded edition. Ulmer, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8252-1250-5 .
- Martin Nebel, Georg Philippi (ed.): The mosses of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 1: General part, special part (Bryophytina I, Andreaeales to Funariales). Ulmer, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8001-3527-2 .
- Volkmar Wirth , Ruprecht Düll : Color Atlas of Lichen and Moss. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2000, ISBN 3-8001-3517-5 .
