Bryum mildeanum
Bryum mildeanum Jur.
Bryum alpinum var. mildeanum (Jur.) Podp.3
Bryaceae
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial acrocarpous moss forming golden green glossy cushions, brownish inside. Shoots erect, to 3 cm high, reddish. Leaves oval lanceolate, tapering, shortly decurrent, margin recurved almost to the apex, reddish at base. Nerve yellow to brown, excurrent in a short denticulate awn. Unisexual, rarely with sporophytes. In Bulgaria known only as sterile plants.
Habitats and populations. Grows on rocks and in rock crevices (incl. concrete) or sandy soil along streams and rivers in the spray zone. The populations have restricted distribution, low density and restricted reproductive potential.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Rhodopi Mts (Central – above village of Purvenets). Reported for Vitosha Mt.
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula, Europe, Caucasus, C and SE Asia, N Africa, Macaronesia. Sub-oceanic species.
Threats. Major negative factor is the habitat degradation due to water pollution from the upstream villages. The species is sensitive to stochastic processes due to low numerical strength of the populations. It has restricted reproductive ability.
Conservation measures taken. None.
Conservation measures needed. To study the dynamics of the numbers and areas of the populations, as well as the biology and ecology of the species in Bulgaria, to elucidate the threatening factors and monitor the populations.
References. Ade & Koppe 1955; Stefanoff & Petrov 1962.
Author: Rayna Natcheva
