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Polytrichum commune

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309:, ridges of cells that run along the leaf surface, are crenulate (i.e. with small rounded teeth) in profile and are 5 to 9 cells high. Their margins are distinctly grooved with 2 rows of paired, projecting knobs. The marginal cells, when observed in section, may be narrow, but are more typically enlarged and wider than those beneath. They are retuse (i.e. with a rounded apex with a central shallow notch) to deeply notched, and in rare cases are divided by a vertical partition. These cells are smooth and brownish in colour and have relatively thick 405: 298: 322: 83: 33: 60: 647: 433:. Additionally, the leaves will curve and then twist around the stem when conditions become too dry, this being another xeromorphic adaptation. It is speculated that the teeth along the leaf's edge may aid in this process, or perhaps also that they help discourage small invertebrates from attacking the leaves. 401:. When these two tissue types are taken into account along with the species' exceptional height, it becomes clear that common haircap moss is quite a unique moss considering that the majority of species show little differentiation of conducting tissue and are restricted to much smaller stem lengths. 337:
have a long sheath with a scarious (i.e. membranous) margin, while the blades themselves are greatly reduced, gradually narrowing to a finely acuminate tip. These blades have toothed margins, are denticulate to subentire in outline, roughened to almost smooth, and have a costa that is excurrent. The
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found in many regions with high humidity and rainfall. The species can be exceptionally tall for a moss with stems often exceeding 30 cm (12 in) and rarely reaching 70 cm (27.5 in), but it is most commonly found at shorter lengths of 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in). It is widely
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lamellae on the upper surfaces of the leaves. Most mosses simply have a single plate of cells on the leaf surface, but common haircap moss has more highly differentiated photosynthetic tissue. This is an example of a xeromorphic adaption, an adaptation for dry conditions. Moist air is trapped in
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between the rows of lamellae, while the larger terminal cells act to contain moisture and protect the photosynthetic cells. This minimises water loss as relatively little tissue is directly exposed to the environment, but allows for enough gas exchange for photosynthesis to take place. The
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is a medium to large moss. It is dark green in colour, but becomes brownish with age. The stems can occur in either loose or quite dense tufts, often forming extensive colonies. The stems are most typically found at lengths of 5 to 10 cm, but can be as short as 2 cm or as long as
342:, or capsule stalk, is 5 to 9 cm long, and is stout and yellowish to reddish brown in colour. The capsule is 3 to 6 mm long, slightly rectangular to cubic in shape, and brown to dark reddish brown in colour. It is sharply 4 winged, inclined to horizontal, and 317:
long by 10 to 13 μm wide. These cells may be elongated rectangles or strongly linear structures up to 20 times long as wide. They become narrower toward the margins. Marginal lamina cells are 10 to 15 μm wide and are subquadrate (i.e. nearly square).
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typically measure 6 to 8 mm in length, but may be up to 12 mm long. When dry they are erect, but when moist they are sinuous with recurved tips and are generally spreading to broadly recurved, or sharply recurved from the base. The
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can be seen to be level or erect, narrow, and typically 2 to 3 cells wide, though sometimes as many as 7 cells wide. It is toothed from the base of the blade up to the apex, with the teeth being unicellular and embedded in the margin. The
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is oblong to elliptic in outline, forming an involute (i.e. with inward rolling margins) tube and clasping the stem. This sheath is typically golden yellow and shiny, and it is abruptly contracted to the narrowly lanceolate blade. Using a
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70 cm. They range in stiffness from erect to decumbent (i.e. reclining) and are usually unbranched, though in rare cases they may be forked. The leaves occur densely to rather distantly, and
290:, or central stalk of the leaf, is toothed on the underside near the apex, and is excurrent, meaning it extends beyond the end of the apex, ending in a short, rough 854: 906: 828: 867: 968: 616: 523: 1022: 802: 584: 67: 248:
has been shown to thrive in partially open habitats that have been recently disturbed by human activities or even livestock.
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Bell, N., Kariyawasam, I., Flores, J., & Hyvönen, J. (2021). The diversity of the Polytrichopsida—a review. 
82: 422: 404: 381:, which makes up the central cylinder of stem tissue. It consists of cells with a relatively wide diameter called 911: 408:
Cross section of a leaf showing parallel photosynthetic lamellae at 400x magnification. The green cells contain
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is an endohydric moss, meaning water must be conducted from the base of the plant. While mosses are considered
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shows clear differentiation of water conducting tissue. One of these water conducting tissues is termed the
820: 557: 815: 683: 622: 306: 667: 662: 651: 397:, which surround the hadrom and contains smaller cells. This tissue is, on the other hand, analogous to 167: 672: 301:
Cross section of a leaf showing parallel lamellae (perpendicular to leaf surface) at 125x magnification
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distributed throughout temperate and boreal latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and also found in
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between the lamellae can host a number of microscopic organisms such as parasitic
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Another characteristic feature of the species (and the genus) is its parallel
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is golden yellow to brownish and completely envelops the capsule. The
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measures 250 μm, is pale in colour and has 64 teeth. The
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measure 5 to 8 μm, but may be up to 12 μm.
690: 575:Crum, Howard Alvin; Anderson, Lewis Edward (1981), 618:Biodiversity Reference: Polytrichum commune Hedw. 579:, Columbia University Press, pp. 1281–1282, 325:Close-up of capsules (after shedding of calyptra) 242:and along forest streams. Additionally, class 393:in higher plants. The other tissue is called 8: 673:NYTimes 2008 Moss Makes a Lush, No-Care Lawn 678: 58: 31: 20: 610: 608: 668:Illustration from Flora of North America 621:, University of Paisley, archived from 564:, vol. 27, Oxford University Press 551: 549: 547: 545: 543: 476: 385:, which conduct water. This tissue is 663:Range Map from Flora of North America 509: 507: 505: 7: 922:164d615e-9efd-4229-bee1-a48e379cc91b 516:English Names for British Bryophytes 313:. The sheath cells measure 60 to 90 226:, several Pacific Islands including 600:Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution 14: 645: 81: 658:Profile at USDA PLANTS Database 577:Mosses of Eastern North America 556:Smith Merrill, Gary L. (2007), 1: 1044: 1023:NatureServe secure species 615:Silverside, A.J. (2005), 514:Edwards, Sean R. (2012). 173: 166: 78:Scientific classification 76: 56: 47: 39: 30: 23: 329:The plants are sexually 264:are present proximally. 234:. It typically grows in 203:great golden maidenhair 562:Flora of North America 413: 326: 302: 602:, 43(1), 98-111. 558:"Polytrichum commune" 485:"Polytrichum commune" 407: 324: 300: 654:at Wikimedia Commons 489:NatureServe Explorer 333:. The leaves of the 722:Polytrichum commune 692:Polytrichum commune 652:Polytrichum commune 461:Polytrichum commune 452:Polytrichum commune 443:Polytrichum commune 375:Polytrichum commune 371:non-vascular plants 367:Polytrichum commune 257:Polytrichum commune 211:common haircap moss 194:Polytrichum commune 177:Polytrichum commune 50:Conservation status 42:Polytrichum commune 25:Polytrichum commune 414: 327: 303: 217:) is a species of 1010: 1009: 943:Open Tree of Life 684:Taxon identifiers 650:Media related to 525:978-0-9561310-2-7 190: 189: 71: 1035: 1003: 1002: 990: 989: 977: 976: 964: 963: 951: 950: 938: 937: 925: 924: 915: 914: 902: 901: 899:NBNSYS0000036135 889: 888: 876: 875: 863: 862: 850: 849: 837: 836: 824: 823: 811: 810: 798: 797: 785: 784: 772: 771: 759: 758: 749: 748: 736: 735: 726: 725: 724: 711: 710: 709: 679: 649: 633: 632: 631: 630: 612: 603: 596: 590: 589: 572: 566: 565: 553: 538: 537: 511: 500: 499: 497: 496: 481: 423:microenvironment 346:when fresh. The 215:common hair moss 207:great goldilocks 179: 86: 85: 65: 62: 61: 35: 21: 1043: 1042: 1038: 1037: 1036: 1034: 1033: 1032: 1013: 1012: 1011: 1006: 998: 993: 985: 980: 972: 967: 959: 954: 946: 941: 933: 930:Observation.org 928: 920: 918: 910: 905: 897: 892: 884: 879: 871: 866: 858: 853: 845: 840: 832: 827: 819: 814: 806: 801: 793: 788: 780: 775: 767: 762: 754: 752: 744: 739: 731: 729: 720: 719: 714: 705: 704: 699: 686: 642: 637: 636: 628: 626: 614: 613: 606: 597: 593: 587: 574: 573: 569: 555: 554: 541: 526: 513: 512: 503: 494: 492: 483: 482: 478: 473: 439: 364: 281:, the marginal 254: 245:Polytrichopsida 197:(also known as 186: 181: 175: 162: 159:P. commune 115:Polytrichopsida 80: 72: 63: 59: 52: 17: 16:Species of moss 12: 11: 5: 1041: 1039: 1031: 1030: 1028:Polytrichaceae 1025: 1015: 1014: 1008: 1007: 1005: 1004: 1000:wfo-0001160523 991: 978: 965: 952: 939: 926: 916: 903: 890: 877: 864: 851: 838: 825: 812: 799: 786: 773: 760: 750: 737: 727: 712: 696: 694: 688: 687: 682: 676: 675: 670: 665: 660: 655: 641: 640:External links 638: 635: 634: 604: 591: 585: 567: 539: 524: 501: 475: 474: 472: 469: 468: 467: 458: 449: 438: 435: 418:photosynthetic 363: 360: 253: 250: 230:, and also in 199:common haircap 188: 187: 182: 171: 170: 164: 163: 156: 154: 150: 149: 142: 138: 137: 135:Polytrichaceae 132: 128: 127: 122: 118: 117: 112: 108: 107: 102: 98: 97: 92: 88: 87: 74: 73: 57: 54: 53: 48: 45: 44: 37: 36: 28: 27: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1040: 1029: 1026: 1024: 1021: 1020: 1018: 1001: 996: 992: 988: 983: 979: 975: 970: 966: 962: 957: 953: 949: 944: 940: 936: 931: 927: 923: 917: 913: 908: 904: 900: 895: 891: 887: 882: 878: 874: 869: 865: 861: 856: 852: 848: 843: 839: 835: 830: 826: 822: 817: 813: 809: 804: 800: 796: 791: 787: 783: 778: 774: 770: 765: 761: 757: 751: 747: 742: 738: 734: 728: 723: 717: 713: 708: 702: 698: 697: 695: 693: 689: 685: 680: 674: 671: 669: 666: 664: 661: 659: 656: 653: 648: 644: 643: 639: 625:on 2005-12-28 624: 620: 619: 611: 609: 605: 601: 595: 592: 588: 586:0-231-04516-6 582: 578: 571: 568: 563: 559: 552: 550: 548: 546: 544: 540: 535: 531: 527: 521: 517: 510: 508: 506: 502: 491:. 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Retrieved 488: 479: 464: 460: 455: 451: 446: 442: 415: 410:chloroplasts 394: 382: 378: 374: 366: 365: 335:perichaetium 328: 304: 266: 256: 255: 243: 214: 210: 206: 202: 198: 193: 192: 191: 176: 174: 158: 157: 145: 41: 24: 18: 881:NatureServe 842:iNaturalist 716:Wikispecies 465:perigoniale 274:leaf sheath 252:Description 228:New Zealand 146:Polytrichum 68:NatureServe 1017:Categories 956:Plant List 629:2008-02-16 495:2008-02-15 471:References 362:Physiology 311:cell walls 279:microscope 101:Division: 40:Plants of 821:200002665 534:0268-8034 387:analogous 348:peristome 240:heathland 232:Australia 153:Species: 105:Bryophyta 91:Kingdom: 987:35125360 982:Tropicos 886:2.946480 860:11433551 753:BioLib: 701:Wikidata 456:jensenii 431:rotifers 383:hydroids 352:calyptra 344:glaucous 331:dioicous 307:lamellae 131:Family: 834:2683084 707:Q178025 447:commune 437:Variety 141:Genus: 121:Order: 111:Class: 95:Plantae 66: ( 64:Secure 974:POCO38 969:PLANTS 948:821356 919:NZOR: 808:197103 782:883425 746:121130 730:AoFP: 583:  532:  522:  399:phloem 395:leptom 379:hadrom 356:spores 283:lamina 269:leaves 262:bracts 238:, wet 224:Mexico 935:17546 873:15759 855:IRMNG 847:68293 803:EUNIS 795:PTYCO 769:77V79 756:91287 463:var. 454:var. 445:var. 427:fungi 391:xylem 288:costa 213:, or 184:Hedw. 912:3213 907:NCBI 868:ITIS 829:GBIF 790:EPPO 741:APNI 733:4609 581:ISBN 530:ISSN 520:ISBN 429:and 340:seta 305:The 267:The 236:bogs 219:moss 995:WFO 894:NBN 816:FNA 777:EoL 764:CoL 389:to 294:. 292:awn 1019:: 997:: 984:: 971:: 958:: 945:: 932:: 909:: 896:: 883:: 870:: 857:: 844:: 831:: 818:: 805:: 792:: 779:: 766:: 743:: 718:: 703:: 607:^ 560:, 542:^ 528:. 504:^ 487:. 373:, 315:μm 209:, 205:, 201:, 536:. 498:. 412:. 70:)

Index


Conservation status
NatureServe
Scientific classification
Edit this classification
Plantae
Bryophyta
Polytrichopsida
Polytrichales
Polytrichaceae
Polytrichum
Binomial name
Hedw.
moss
Mexico
New Zealand
Australia
bogs
heathland
Polytrichopsida
bracts
leaves
leaf sheath
microscope
lamina
costa
awn

lamellae
cell walls

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