Frullania dilatata

Wide water bag moss ( Frullania dilatata )

The width of puddles Moos ( Frullania dilatata ) is a liverwort species of the family Frullaniaceae.

Identifying

This moss species growing in shallow, the base usually tight -fitting blankets from a few cm to over 20 cm in size. The color is dark red-brown to blackish, in shady areas and dark green. The stems are branched irregularly. With the Rhizoidenbüscheln on the bottom they adhere to the substrate. The individual branches are about 1 cm long and wide, less than 1 mm. The blade position is overshot: the upper edge of a sheet overlaps the lower edge of the next sheet. The edge leaves are bilobed, with rounded to broadly oval and somewhat hollow upper lobe and lower lobe about half as large. The lower lobes are about the same length as wide and are mostly helmet- shaped water bags ( hence the name ) transformed. Lanceolate forms with predominantly lower lobe, which are not converted to water sacks as anomala var Corb. referred to. The leaf cells have 3-4 oil bodies and are in the center of the page 20-25 microns in size. Cell corners are thickened nodular, sometimes the cell walls. Lower leaves are slightly wider than the stems and bilobed at the tip. The plants are dioecious. The female plants bear Perianthien always sitting at the branch tips. Perianthien are rounded rectangular and are at the top suddenly narrowed into a short tube. Sporophytes are often formed.

Occurrence

The width of puddles moss grows mainly on bark of deciduous trees, especially maple and ash, rarely Nadelholzborke or on base -rich rock. Preference is given to light- rich sites in up -exposed forests, forest edges or on free-standing trees. The moss is used in Europe from the depths to the high montane zone, in Western Europe often often, less often in areas with a continental climate. Other deposits are found in Asia and North Africa.

Endangering

Probably due to air pollution, the moss was regional basis decimated or sometimes even eradicated. Significant population decline are in northern and eastern Germany. Richer occurrence of this moss species show relatively high air purity. The width of puddles moss is of Octosporella erythrostigma ( Pezizales ) and Pithyella frullaniae ( Helotiales ), two small Ascomycetes, a parasite.