Blandow's helodium moss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blandow's helodium moss |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Helodium
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| Species: |
blandowii
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Helodium blandowii, also known as Blandow's helodium moss, is a special type of moss. It's quite rare in places like Oregon and California in the Western U.S. But you can find it in many northern parts of the world. In some areas, it is not as rare as it is in the Western U.S. This moss often grows in wet, marshy areas.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
Blandow's helodium moss is usually yellow-green. It grows in loose clumps. Its branches spread out flat, making it look a bit like a feather. The stems can be 4 to 11 centimeters long. They are quite stiff, especially when dry. These stems are covered with tiny, hair-like green threads called paraphyllia. These threads turn brown closer to the bottom of the stem.
The leaves on the main stem are larger and shaped like a triangle. They are somewhat folded. The leaves on the branches are smaller, about 0.8 millimeters long. They can look twisted when dry.
Where Does It Live?
This moss is found all around the northern parts of the world. This is called a "circumboreal distribution."
Its Home: Fens
Blandow's bogmoss lives in special wet places called fens. Fens are a type of wetland or marsh. They usually have water that comes from underground, which is rich in minerals. This moss often forms soft mats or small bumps in these fens. You might also find it under grasses and small bushes at the edges of these wet areas. Sometimes, it even grows in small streams within the fens.
Other plants that often grow near Blandow's bogmoss include:
- Betula glandulosa (American dwarf birch)
- Salix geyeriana (Geyer's willow)
- Carex limosa (mud sedge)
Some other mosses that share its home are:
- Aulacomnium palustre
- Meesia triquetra
- Tomenthypnum nitens
However, this moss cannot live in fens that have too many minerals.
History in the British Isles
Sadly, this moss was declared extinct in the British Isles in 1901. It has not been seen there since.
Fire and Its Habitat
We don't know much about how fire affects this moss. But fens, where it lives, rarely burn. If there's a lot of soot from a nearby fire, it could harm the moss's home.
Why Is It Important to Protect It?
This moss is considered a sensitive species by the United States Forest Service. This means it needs special care to protect it. The California Native Plant Society also lists it as a species of concern.
Threats to Its Home
Fens are very delicate places. They can be easily harmed by human activities. Here are some threats:
- Livestock grazing: Animals like cows eating plants can damage the fen.
- Water changes: Building roads or changing how water flows can dry out or flood the fen. This is called "hydrologic alteration." It caused this moss to disappear in Great Britain.
- Roads: Building and using roads near fens can harm them.
- Peat mining: Digging up peat (decayed plant material) from fens destroys the habitat.
How to Spot Blandow's Helodium Moss
This moss can look similar to other mosses. But knowing it grows in a fen helps a lot! Here are some clues to identify it:
- It has flat, feather-like stems and branches.
- It is a distinct yellow-green color.
- Its stems have many dense, hair-like threads (paraphyllia).
At first glance, its pale yellow-green color might make it look like Sphagnum moss. But you can tell Helodium blandowii apart because its branches grow in a feather-like pattern. Sphagnum moss has branches that grow in bundles.
