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amblystegium moss

Scientific Name: Amblystegium serpens

Family: Amblystegiaceae

Category: Moss

Growth: Nonvascular

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Creeping Feathermoss (Amblystegium serpens)

Amblystegium serpens, commonly known as creeping feathermoss, is a pleurocarpous moss that forms intricate, spreading patches. Its small size and adaptability make it a fascinating subject for study and observation.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Amblystegium serpens
  • Common Names: Creeping feathermoss, Amblystegium moss, Nano moss, Willow Feather-moss
  • Family: Amblystegiaceae
  • Genus: Amblystegium Schimp. in B.S.G. (Type genus of the traditional family Amblystegiaceae)
  • Taxonomic Rank: Species
  • Synonyms:
    • Amblystegium serpens (Hedw.) Schimp.
    • Amblystegium serpens var. juratzkanum (Schimp.) Rau & Herv.
    • Amblystegium serpens subsp. schlotthaueri Renauld & Cardot
  • Alternative Scientific Names:
    • Amblystegium serpens W. P. Schimper in B. S. G., 1853

Morphological Characteristics

  • The creeping feathermoss features mid- to dark green, irregularly branched shoots, typically 1 to 2 cm long.
  • Stem leaves are very small, normally around 0.5 mm in length.
  • Forms loose, soft mats.

Habitat and Distribution

  • Amblystegium is a genus of mosses found in moist to aquatic sites.

Related Species

  • Amblystegium radicale
  • Amblystegium varium (tangled thread moss)
  • Amblystegium riparium
  • Hygroamblystegium fluviatile/tenax (Brook-side/Fountain Feather-moss)
  • Amblystegium confervoides (Tiny Feather-moss)

Further Information

  • Herbarium specimen (Hamilton Collection of Mosses, Fasc. 2, sheet 82). Nos. 560, 561, 562, 562. Shrewsbury Museums
  • British Bryological Society Checklist of British and Irish Bryophytes
  • Encyclopedia of Life
  • California Moss eFlora