Philonotis arnellii
Philonotis arnellii Husn.
Bartramiaceae
Conservation status. Vulnerable [VU D2].
Morphology and biology. Perennial acrocarpous moss forming lax green to yellowish green tufts. Shoots filiform, almost unbranched, ascending, to 2 cm high. Leaves patent, straight or slightly curved, narrowly oval lanceolate, acuminate, finely denticulate in the upper part. Nerve single, ending in the apex. Unisexual, rarely with sporophytes. Perigonia with excurrent nerve. Spore capsule inclined, spherical, born on long seta.
Habitats and populations. Grows on temporary wet soil in rock crevices along streams, rivers, ditches, mainly in the lowlands and the lower parts of mountains. The populations have restricted distribution, low density, and restricted reproductive potential.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Forebalkan (Western – Vrachanska Mt, above Ljutadzhik village), Thracian Lowland (near town Plovdiv), Tundzha Hilly Country (Sakar Mts – between Hlyabovo village and Topolovgrad).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula, Europe, NE, E and C Asia, N Africa, North America. Northern sub-oceanic (mountain) species.
Threats. Major negative factor is habitat degradation due to changes in the hydrological regime of wetlands as a result of drought, construction works, and water pollution. The small number of populations makes the species vulnerable to stochastic processes. The species has restricted reproductive 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. Petrov 1963.
Author: Rayna Natcheva
