Ctenidium procerrimum
Ctenidium procerrimum (Molendo) Lindb.
Hypnaceae
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial pleurocarpous moss forming dense green to yellowish green flat mats. Shoots prostrate, densely regularly pinnately branched. Stem leaves oval lanceolate at base, gradually tapering, curved and unilateral, margin entire or indistinctly denticulate in the upper part. Nerve very short, double or lacking. Unisexual, rarely with sporophytes, in Bulgaria only sterile plants reported.
Habitats and populations. Grows on dry calcareous rocks in light coniferous forests and open places in the upper forest belt. The populations have restricted distribution and good density, but restricted reproductive potential.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Pirin Mts (above chalet Bunderitsa).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia), N, C and W Europe, Caucasus, NE, E and C Asia, North America. Northern sub-oceanic/mountain species.
Threats. Major negative factor is the loss of habitats due to resort building. The region is under strong anthropogenic pressure resulting from intensive tourism and ski-track constructions. The small number of locations makes the species sensitive to stochastic processes. The species has limited reproductive ability.
Conservation measures taken. The population is within Pirin National Park and in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. To study the dynamics of numbers 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. Restriction of the construction works in the area of the population.
References. Petrov 1962a.
Author: Rayna Natcheva
