Philonotis marchica
Philonotis marchica (Hedw.) Brid.
Bartramiaceae
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial acrocarpous moss. Tufts lax, yellowish green, 1–5 (more rarely to 10) cm high. Leaves lanceolate, awl-like, narrow, without folds at leaf base, sharply toothed from the tip down to below the middle of the leaf; teeth single. Nerve ending below leaf tip or shortly projecting beyond the end of leaf lamina. Perigonial (360o angle) leaves with wide ovate basal part, narrowing towards awl-like leaf point, and with thin nerve reaching the tip. Sporophyte inclined, almost spherical, with oblique opening and clearly visible longitudinal ridges when dry, stalk long. Unisexual.
Habitats and populations. Plants grow on wet and moist sandy and clay soils, in marshes, and along moist riverbanks with lax herb vegetation.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Slavyanka Mt (Petrovska River valley near Goleshevo village), Pirin Mts, Rhodopi Mts (Western – Novomahalenska River valley near the town of Peshtera), Strandzha Mts.
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, R Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia), W and C Europe, W Asia, Japan, Korea, North America, Algeria. Sub-Mediterranean species.
Threats. Closely situated near human settlements which results in soil and water contamination, loss of habitats after drying up. The species is characterized by a low potential for sexual reproduction.
Conservation measures taken. Possibly, the populations in Pirin Mts and Strandzha Mts are located in protected areas but there is no precise information in the publications about the exact species locations. Some localities are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Long-term study, assessment of trends in habitat changes, prognosis for population development and based on these results, identification of conservation measures.
References. Stefanoff & Petrov 1962; Petrov 1963; Šmarda 1970.
Author: Anna Ganeva
