Syntrichia papillosa
Syntrichia papillosa (Wilson) Jur.
Pottiaceae
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial acrocarpous moss. Tufts 2–5 cm high, brownish green, easily disintegrated. Leaves appressed to the stem when dry, erect when moist with slightly backward recurved tip and slightly curved margins. Nerve long, ending in short colourless smooth hair. Sporophytes rare. Vegetative reproduction is by means of 2–4-celled rounded brown gemmae, produced on nerve on upper leaf surface.
Habitats and populations. Plants grow on stems of single trees in places with high air humidity and clean air, rarely on rock outcrops.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea Coast (Southern – Ropotamo), Northeast Bulgaria (Shumensko Plateau), Danubian Plain (near Cherni Vrah village), Valley of Struma River (Southern – Kresna gorge, Tisata Reserve), Valley of Mesta River (near Garmen village), Rhodopi Mts (Central – the town of Shiroka Laka), Strandzha Mts (Trionski Dol).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece), C Europe, S Africa, North America, Ecuador, Andes, Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Islands, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand. Temperate species.
Threats. Air pollution, drying up, felling of old trees.
Conservation measures taken. One of the species localities is in Tisata Reserve and another one is within Strandzha Nature Park. Some occurrences of the species are within sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Long-term study, assessment of the trends in habitat changes, prognosis for population development and based on these results, identification of appropriate conservation measures.
References. Stefanoff & Petrov 1962; Ganeva 1992; Ganeva & Düll 1999.
Author: Anna Ganeva
