Scorpidium revolvens
Scorpidium revolvens (Sw.) Hedenäs
Drepanocladus revolvens (Sw.) Warnst.3
Campyliaceae
Conservation status. Vulnerable [VU D2].
Morphology and biology. Perennial pleurocarpous moss forming large groups of glossy reddish brown to dark purple. Shoots long, prostrate, irregularly branched. Tips of shoots and branches hooked. Leaves hooked to curved to ring-shaped, above the oval base gradually tapering in a long acumen, margin entire or finely denticulate towards apex, nerve simple ending ca. 2/3 of leaf length. Unisexual, rarely with sporophytes.
Habitats and populations. Grows in Sphagnum-dominated mires and fens in subalpine areas. The populations have restricted distribution and good density.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Rila Mts (locality Ribnitsite, and along Banenska River).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria), W and C Europe, Iceland, Greenland, N and C Asia, Japan, New Guinea, North America, New Zealand. Subarctic-subalpine species.
Threats. Major factor is habitat degradation due to pollution, drainage and climate aridisation, which leads to lowering of air humidity and overgrowth of habitats by competitive species of higher plants. The small number of populations and low reproductive potential make the species vulnerable to stochastic processes.
Conservation measures taken. The populations in Rila Mts. are within Rila National Park and in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
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. Kuc et al. 1965.
Author: Rayna Natcheva
