Tayloria splachnoides
Tayloria splachnoides (Schwägr.) Hook.
Splachnaceae
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B2ab(iii)]. The species is listed in the Red Data Book of European Bryophytes as ‘Endangered’.
Morphology and biology. Perennial acrocarpous moss. Tufts lax, yellowish green, 5–25 mm high, with purple or dark red rhizoids at the base. Leaves slightly crisped when dry, erect when wet, 2–5 mm long, somewhat larger towards the stem tip, ovoid or ovate. Nerve brownish, ending below leaf tip. Sporophyte erect, cylindrical, pale brown, on stalk 10–30 mm high. Bisexual or unisexual.
Habitats and populations. Plants grow on humus or wood litter in moist and shady forests.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Rila Mts (above Borovets locality, in spruce forest).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (only in Bulgaria), N and C Europe, North America. Subarctic-subalpine species.
Threats. Tourism and infrastructure development in the region of Borovets resort.
Conservation measures taken. Species locality is in the area of Rila National Park and in a site 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 recommendation of appropriate conservation measures; legal protection of the species.
References. Ganeva & Düll 1999.
Author: Anna Ganeva
