Aulacomnium palustre
Aulacomnium palustre is one of the very few peatland moss species with isodiametric, papillose leaf cells. The yellow-green leaf apices contrasted to the reddish stems, twisted leaves, and when present the gemmiferous shoots also characterize this species. In arctic-alpine areas, A. turgidum and A. acuminatum occur – both are larger, more robust species without the covering of reddish tomentum of the stems. Tomenthypnum nitens has reddish tomentum, but is distinguished by plicate leaves and pinnately branched stems.
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Upper left, whole plant; center, apex detail; right, cell detail. Lower, whole leaf |
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Habit |
erect, unbranched plants, reddish below owing to dense tomentum of reddish rhizoids, yellow-green above |
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Stems |
covered with rhizoids, sometimes ending in attenuate shoots covered with triangular, red-brown brood-bodies that occur along upper portion of shoot |
Leaves |
twisted and curled when dry, erect-spreading when moist, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, acute, serrate above, entire and recurved below, costa trong, ending just below apex |
Leaf Cells |
idodiametric to rounded, thick-walled, with a single large papilla on each surface |
Alar Cells |
not differentiated |
Habitat |
on hummocks and on disturbed peat in all peatlands - limited by calcareous ground water in rich fens. Also a pioneer species in early succession of both fens and bogs. |
Common Associates |
Occurring with Dicranum undulatum, Polytrichum strictum, and Tomenthypnum nitens; one of the most common peatland species |
pH Meter
This page was last revised on: Sat, 01-Mar-2008 19:03