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plagiothecium moss
Scientific Name: Plagiothecium latebricola
Family: Plagiotheciaceae
Category: Moss
Growth: Nonvascular
Duration:
Other Names: OH (lurking leskea)
Plagiothecium Moss
Plagiothecium is a genus of mosses. Several species are mentioned with the common name "plagiothecium moss" or "silk-moss."
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Genus: Plagiothecium Schimp. in B.S.G.
- Family: Plagiotheciaceae
- Species mentioned:
- Plagiothecium laetum Schimp.
- Plagiothecium undulatum (Hedw.) Schimp.
- Plagiothecium cavifolium
- Plagiothecium denticulatum
- Plagiothecium piliferum
- Plagiothecium berggrenianum Frisv.
- Plagiothecium micans (Sw.) Paris
- Plagiothecium latebricola
- Plagiothecium nemorale
- Plagiothecium succulentum
- Plagiothecium curvifolium
- Plagiothecium platyphyllum
- Synonyms: Buckiella undulata (for Plagiothecium undulatum)
Common Names
- Plagiothecium Moss
- Alpine Silk-moss
- Waved Silk-moss
- Round Silk Moss
- Pressed Silk Moss
- Undulate Plagiothecium Moss
- Toothed Plagiothecium Moss
- Wavy-leaved Cotton Moss
- Wavy-leaf Moss
- Juicy Silk-moss
- Dented Silk-moss
- Woodsy Silk-moss
- Flat Moss
- Snake Moss
- Tongue Moss
- Berggren's Plagiothecium Moss
Distribution and Habitat
- Found in damp and darker areas, such as on rocks on the sides of cloughs.
- Grows on shady shale streambanks (e.g., in Delaware).
- Can be found in open wooded wet spots (e.g., in Hocking County, Ohio).
- Observed in the mist zone at the base of western red cedars (e.g., at Wahclella Falls in the Columbia River Gorge).
- Found on soil and branches in swampy environments.
- While not prominent in tropical Africa, it can be found in the islands of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.
Morphological Characteristics
- Plagiothecium undulatum is described as a large and conspicuous moss with pale green, sparsely branched shoots, several centimetres long (commonly 5 to 6 mm wide), that are more or less flattened.
- Leaves are translucent, about 3mm long.
- Some species, like Plagiothecium undulatum, form prostrate ribbon-like mats.
Ecology
- Terrestrial moss.
- Grows under acidic conditions.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Observed with Atrichum angustatum on shale streambanks.
- May co-occur with Hypnum jutlandicum and Sphagnum capillifolium.
Further Information
- USDA, NRCS. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
- NatureServe Explorer
- Encyclopedia of Life