Physcomitrium pyriforme

Pear-shaped moss Physcomitrella patens ( Physcomitrium pyriforme )

The pear-shaped moss Physcomitrella patens ( Physcomitrium pyriforme ) is a scattered occurring, unstable, short-lived pioneer moss, which grows singly or in small groups. The antheridia and archegonia are located at different branches on the same plant ( autoecious ).

Identifying

The moss is up to 1 cm high plantlets which are pale green to yellowish green. The lower leaves are small, heaped the top increasingly larger and rosette. They stand upright on to sparrig are wrong acuminate ovate to ovate lanceolate and sharp. The leaf edges are sawn conspicuous in the upper part. The rib ends below or in the blade tip. The rhombic to rectangular lamina cells are loosely placed, thin-walled, 20-50 microns wide. At the edge of the sheet, it not infrequently an indistinct fringe of longer and narrower cells. In addition, there are often clearly differentiated group of cells near the leaf substrate, the ( hyaline ), are translucent water bright and already visible with a magnifying glass. The upright Seta is up to 14 mm long. It carries upright capsules are spherical and inversely pear-shaped. Your capsule neck is short and thick. A peristome is not available. The capsule lid has a short beak. The calyptra, which is divided into several tabs at the bottom of deep, is cap -shaped and has a remarkably long beak. The papillose spores are microns in diameter from 25 to 45. A spore maturation in spring to early summer.

Occurrence

The pear-shaped moss Physcomitrella patens populated light- rich, open, moist to wet, base -rich, often calcareous, alkaline to slightly acidic, nutrient-rich, partly disturbed sites. It grows best in loamy, clayey or humic soil. Fallow fields, gappy meadows and pastures, ditches, disturbed ruderal, fresh Erdablagerungen, the banks of water courses, open to walk-in places in lowland forests and Torfausstiche belong to the typical places. More often, the moss was also observed in garden beds, greenhouses and flower pots.