Tortella nitida
Tortella nitida (Lindb.) Broth.
Pottiaceae
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Perennial acrocarpous moss. Tufts dark green, whitish and shining when dry because of the outlined nerves, about 1.0–1.5 cm high. Stem with rhizoids at the base. Leaves very fragile when dry, incurved like a hoop, equal size along the stem, elongated linear in shape, bluntly pointed, with slightly wavy margins. Nerve light yellow, later becoming brownish, whitish and shining on the back, projecting beyond the end of leaf tip and forming short point. Sporophyte erect, almost cylindrical. Unisexual.
Habitats and populations. Plants grow on exposed calcareous rocks forming small tufts.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea Coast (Northern – Zlatni Pyasatsi locality).
General distribution. Balkan Peninsula (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, R Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia) and C Europe, Crete, N and W Asia, North America, N Africa. Oceanic-Mediterranean species.
Threats. Tourism and infrastructure development, other human activities. The species is characterized by low potential for sexual reproduction.
Conservation measures taken. The species locality may be within Zlatni Pyasatsi Nature Park but the exact location is not specified in the report. This area is in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Studies on population dynamics and growth rates.
References. Stefanoff & Petrov 1962.
Author: Anna Ganeva
