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ephemerum moss
Scientific Name: Ephemerum cohaerens
Family: Ephemeraceae
Category: Moss
Growth: Nonvascular
Duration:
Other Names:
Ephemerum: Earth-Mosses
The genus Ephemerum, commonly known as earth-mosses, comprises a group of minute mosses with unique characteristics. Several species and varieties are detailed below.
Considerations for Pets
- Some Ephemerum species, such as Ephemerum crassinervum, possess leaves with sharply serrated edges.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Genus: Ephemerum Hampe, 1837
- Family: Ephemeraceae
- Rank: Genus
- Species include:
- Ephemerum serratum (Hedw.) Hampe (Serrate Earth-moss)
- Ephemerum serratum var. minutissimum (Lindb.) Grout
- Ephemerum recurvifolium (Dicks) Boulay (Strap-leaved Earth-moss)
- Ephemerum cohaerens (Hedw.) Hampe (Clustered Earth-moss)
- Ephemerum spinulosum Bruch & Schimp ex Schimp
- Ephemerum crassinervum Hampe
- Ephemerum virginianum
- Ephemerum capensi (Cape pygmy moss)
- Synonyms/Alternative Names:
- Serrate Ephemerum Moss
- Strap-leaved Earth-moss
- Clustered Earth-moss
- Virginian ephemerum moss
- Texas ephemerum moss (Ephemerum crassinervium texanum)
Distribution and Habitat
- Ephemerum is found in various regions, including:
- California (throughout low elevations)
- Europe
- Czechoslovakia (Ephemerum recurvifolium)
- Dutch Rhine floodplain (Ephemerum cohaerens and E. rutheanum)
- Britain and Ireland (Northern England, English Midlands, East Anglia, Wales, southeast England, central southern)
- Ohio, USA (Franklin County - Ephemerum cohaerens)
- Ephemerum species often grow in inundation zones and areas with suitable moisture.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Ephemerum species are generally minute plants.
- Shoots can be very short, up to 2 mm tall in some species.
- Ephemerum crassinervum has leaves from 0.8 to 2.5 mm long with very serrate teeth.
- They have persistent protonema, and fruiting material may be present from late summer through early spring.
- Compared to mosses like Oedipodium, Ephemerum has reduced and short-lived sporophytes with few stomata.
Ecological Role
- Ephemerum has been found in the Dutch Rhine floodplain but mostly without moss plants.
Quirky Facts
- Ephemerum capensi, also known as Cape pygmy moss, is so tiny (the size of a pencil dot) that it can be difficult to see without a microscope.
- Ephemerum is likely the smallest moss found in California.
- One reference notes, regarding a subtropical moss observation in Russia, that "He was discovered in Primorsky Krai subtropical moss which was not known in Russia before." which could indicate that it is an unusual location.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Ephemerum cohaerens supports Warne's Thread-moss Bryum warneum in some locations.
Further Information
- USDA resources may provide additional information on Ephemerum serratum.
- Taxonomic information can be found in the British Database of World Flora and Fauna.
- Encyclopedia of Life also provides information on the family Ephemeraceae and Ephemerum.