Ephemerum recurvifolium
Ephemerum recurvifolium (Dicks.) Boulay
Ephemeraceae
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B2ac(iii,iv)]. Included in the Red Data Book of European bryophytes as ‘Rare’.
Morphology and biology. Ephemeral acrocarpous moss growing individually or in small groups. Shoots very short, together with leaves to 2 mm high, with persistent protonema. Leaves narrow linear, in the upper half irregularly denticulate, with nerve, the upper and perichaetial leaves slightly second. Bisexual. Spore capsule sessile, hidden among the perichaetial leaves, oval with short apiculus, cleistocarpous.
Habitats and populations. Grows on bare wet soil along roads and paths, in agricultural fields, by ponds and wetlands. The numbers of the subpopulations varies depending on the climatic conditions. The populations have restricted distribution and low density.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Danubian Plain (at Obnova village), Sredna gora Mt (Western – the valley of Iskar River at village Pasarel).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula, Europe, Caucasus, SE Asia, N Africa. Sub-Mediterranean species.
Threats. The species depends upon the presence of moderate disturbance of vegetation, and is therefore sensitive to overgrowth by competitive higher plants when grazing, tramping, and ploughing, etc. cease. The small number of populations makes the species vulnerable to stochastic processes.
Conservation measures taken. None.
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. Stefanoff & Petrov 1962; Natcheva 2007.
Author: Rayna Natcheva
