Tortella humilis
Tortella humilis (Hedw.) Jenn.
Pottiaceae
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial acrocarpous moss. Tufts green or yellowish green, lax, about 0.5 cm high. Stems at the base with dense rhizoids. Leaves crisped when dry, when moist erect and away from the stem, linear-elongated, blunt pointed, somewhat larger towards stem tip. Nerve stout, shortly projecting beyond the end of the leaf point. Sporophyte erect, rarely slightly arch-curved. Unisexual.
Habitats and populations. Plants grow on exposed sandy soils in calcareous areas, on places with lax herbaceous layer.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Slavyanka Mt (W slopes between the villages of Petrovo and Yanovo).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia) and S Europe, N and C America. Sub-Mediterranean species.
Threats. Ploughing, use of soil fertilizers, afforestation, air pollution, soil contamination. The species is characterized by low potential for sexual reproduction.
Conservation measures taken. The locality is within a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Studies on population dynamics and growth rates.
References. Petrov 1962b.
Author: Anna Ganeva
