Bryum argenteum

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Silvergreen bryum moss
Bryum argenteum (d, 144719-474801) 4161.JPG
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Bryophyta
Class: Bryopsida
Subclass: Bryidae
Order: Bryales
Family: Bryaceae
Genus: Bryum
Species:
B. argenteum
Binomial name
Bryum argenteum
Hedw.

Bryum argenteum, the silvergreen bryum moss or silvery thread moss,[1] is a species of moss in the family Bryaceae. It is one of the most common urban mosses of inner cities and can be easily recognized without a microscope.

Description[]

B. argenteum growing in the cracks of a car window

The species is silvery-green or whitish-green colored when dry. This is because the broadly ovate shaped single leaflets in the tip do not form chlorophyll. The costa extends beyond the middle of the leaf. In damp, undisturbed locations, the branches may also form a more horizontal growth habit. The upper cells of the leaf surface are elongated rhomboid shaped. The capsule of the sporophyte is short cylindrical, appears broader at the base and is dark red to black colored.[2]

It has a high ability to tolerate drought and pollution of urban environments.[3] B. argenteum is considered a desiccation tolerant species that can withstand total drying. While it is a common characteristic in mosses, B. argenteum was one of the first bryophytes experimentally determined to be desiccation tolerant.[4]

Distribution and habitat[]

An adaptable plant, it has a cosmopolitan distribution and is found in Europe, North America, the deserts of Australia and in Antarctica.[5][6]

It thrives in areas of high anthropogenic activity, growing on rocks, in gaps of paving stones, on asphalt, and on roadsides. It grows especially well in inner cities or in industrial areas. Being a nitrogen loving species, it is also found on nitrophilic soils in urban areas. It is found growing among lawns as well as in other moss communities.[7]

The species is often spread by vegetative fragments clinging to the shoes of people and the feet or hooves of animals.[2] Another method of spread is in the production and sale of liners. Liners infested with B. argentem, often in association with Marchantia polymorpha, are commonly grown in one region of the country, transported to another region to continue growth, and are shipped to a retail location before being planted. Plants have the potential to pick up or disperse these species at each point of transfer.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Bryum argenteum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  2. ^ a b "Silver Moss (Bryum argenteum)".
  3. ^ "Bryum argenteum | PlantZAfrica.com".
  4. ^ Gao B, Li X, Zhang D, et al. Desiccation tolerance in bryophytes: The dehydration and rehydration transcriptomes in the desiccation-tolerant bryophyte Bryum argenteum. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):7571. Published 2017 Aug 8. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-07297-3
  5. ^ "Bryum argenteum". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  6. ^ S. Pisa; E. M. Biersma; P. Convey; J. Patiño; A. Vanderpoorten; O. Werner; R. M. Ros (2014). "The cosmopolitan moss Bryum argenteum in Antarctica: recent colonisation or in situ survival?" (PDF). Polar Biology. 37 (10): 1469–1477. doi:10.1007/s00300-014-1537-3. S2CID 16632288.
  7. ^ http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/bbs/activities/mosses/Bryum%20argenteum.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  8. ^ Fausey, Jason C. (2003). "Controlling Liverwort and Moss Now and in the Future" (PDF). HortTechnology. 13 (1): 35–38. doi:10.21273/HORTTECH.13.1.0035. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
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