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Haircap moss

Polytrichum sp

Description:

Polytrichum is a genus of mosses — commonly called haircap moss or hair moss — which contains approximately 70 species that cover a cosmopolitan distribution. (Less common vernacular names include bird wheat and pigeon wheat.) The Polythrichum genus has a number of closely related sporophytic characters. The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek words polys, meaning "many", and thrix, meaning "hair". This name was used in ancient times to refer to plants with fine, hairlike parts, including mosses, but this application specifically refers to the hairy calyptras found on young sporophytes. There are two major sections of Polytrichum species. The first — section Polytrichum — has narrow, toothed, and relatively erect leaf margins. The other — section Juniperifolia — has broad, entire, and sharply inflexed leaf margins that enclose the lamellae on the upper leaf surface

Notes:

spotted in PNPGerês,in Malhadoura mountain

1 Species ID Suggestions

LarsKorb
LarsKorb 11 years ago
Polytrichum Moss
Polytrichastrum formosum or longisetum


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9 Comments

Thanks Lars,i want to id this onme because it's all over the mountain(800m,and more) in the weet places ,it looks strong

LarsKorb
LarsKorb 11 years ago

I think it's the Polytrichum longisetum, it looks pretty short.

Thanks Emma for you perfect lesson :)
Argy i think is a tortula sp but it's not ruralis,these"leafs" are like pine neadls and the ruralis(star moss) are soft

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 11 years ago

Good POP. Looks like Tortula sp. maybe ruralis the most common but there's at least 17 now. Pretty thing.

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 11 years ago

I believe ,moss can be categorized as plants.
Moss is categorized as a bryophytes, which are non-vascular plants. While technically moss is a plant, it lacks the parts of a plant that we are used to seeing. It does not have true leaves, branches or even roots. Since moss has no roots, it must find other ways to absorb water and this is why it is frequently found in damp, shady areas.

Moss also does not have seeds like many other plants do. They spread by spore or division.

Moss tends to grow in colonies, with several plants growing closely together, which creates the nice, smooth carpet-like appearance that makes moss gardens so beautiful.

Emma :) in that case(moss) plants is the rigth categorie?

thanks Kunzah,i think you can bee rigth,i'll check your tip latter

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 11 years ago

Kunzah, I do think it is.

mauna Kunzah
mauna Kunzah 11 years ago

Perhaps this is a star moss?

Spotted on Oct 1, 2012
Submitted on Oct 13, 2012

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