Buxbaumia aphylla
Buxbaumia aphylla Hedw.
Buxbaumiaceae
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B2ab(iii)c(iii,iv)]. Included in the Red Data Book of European bryophytes as ‘Regionally Threatened’.
Morphology and biology. Ephemeral acrocarpous moss growing individually or in groups. Vegetative stem ca. 1 cm high. Leaves without nerve, minute, densely arranged, at maturation forming brown tomentum at the base of spore capsule. Unisexual. Spore capsule much larger than the vegetative shoot, asymmetrical, the dorsal surface flat, light brown with thickened red brown edge between the ventral and dorsal surface, strongly bulging, red brown, glossy below. Seta 0.5–1.2 cm, red brown, densely papillate.
Habitats and populations. Grows on bare sandy or sandy clay soil, decaying leaves, humus, sometimes among other mosses in broadleaf and coniferous forests and subalpine scrubs. The populations have restricted distribution and low density. The population numbers and the number of subpopulations vary depending on the season and climatic conditions.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Balkan Range (Western – above village Zanozhene in the valley of Stara River), Rila Mts (the region of Saragyolski lakes).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula, Europe, NE and E Asia, North America, Australia, New Zealand. Boreal species.
Threats. Major negative factor is habitat degradation and destruction due to forest felling and trampling. A potential threat is the fluctuation in the population’s numerical strength, especially combined with the small number of populations.
Conservation measures taken. The population in Rila Mts is within Rila National Park and in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. To study the dynamics of the numerical strength and area 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. Petrov 1966b, ECCB 1995.
Author: Rayna Natcheva
