Eurhynchium schleicheri
Eurhynchium schleicheri (R. Hedw.) Jur.
Brachytheciaceae
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial pleurocarpous moss forming yellow to brown green tufts. Shoots prostrate, 3–8 cm long, irregularly pinnately branched. Leaves densely situated, 2–3 times longer than wide, weakly longitudinally plicate, ovoid lanceolate, gradually tapering, margin denticulate throughout, leaf apex twisted. Nerve single, reaching 2/3 of leaf length. Unisexual. Spore capsule inclined to horizontal, ellipsoid, curved, lid with long rostrum, seta papillate.
Habitats and populations. Grows on bare soil on road, path and stream banks, and on calcareous rocks in shady broadleaf forests. The populations have restricted distribution and low density.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Rhodopi Mts (Western – above town of Pestera).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula, Europe, Crimea, Turkey, NE Asia, Macaronesia. Sub-Mediterranean/sub-oceanic species.
Threats. Major negative factor is habitat destruction and degradation due to forest felling. The species is restricted to shaded forest habitats, which are strongly damaged by timber extraction, and is vulnerable to stochastic processes due to the small number of populations. The species has restricted dispersal ability.
Conservation measures taken. None.
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.
References. Šmarda 1970.
Author: Rayna Natcheva
