Specimen #3 Moss

Specimen 3: Moss

Figure 1: Leaves spread apart when wet, arrowhead shaped leaves, smooth edges evident.

Figure 2: Cells are shaped like long diamonds

Figure 3: Known as "Knothole Moss," this species is predominantly recognized for their habitats in tree trunks, moist nooks, and cracks or rain channels; appear as tiny, creeping, dark green plants with irregularly dividing branches

Scientific Name: Anacamptodon splachnoides
Common Name: Knothole Moss
Family: Fabroniaceae
Collection Date: September 1, 2015
Habitat: Tree trunks in moist nooks
Location: Bonney Castle - Hiram College - Hiram, OH
Description: Arrowhead shaped leaves, starry, tiny, 1 mm long, midrib ends below leaf tip, smooth edges, cells shaped like long diamonds, with small square cells in lower outside corners of leaves
Collector: Breanna Beltz

Key Used: McKnight, K.B, Rohrer, J.R., et al. 2013. Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians. Princeton University Press. Princeton, NJ.

Key Steps:

• Pleurocarpous 
• Leaf shape: Ovate
• Midrib: Yes
• Key VIII, pp. 365
• Not pinnately branched --> 10
• Stems branched near to base --> 13
• Various substrates - moist to dry --> 19
• Small < or = to 1 mm --> 25
• Leaf tip pointed, not broken off --> 26
• Dry - leaves spread, wet - same --> 28
• Found on tree trunks --> Anacamptodon splachnoides pp. 263

Ecology:
This species is typically located in knotholes, and crevices where moisture collects on trees. They are found in certain areas within Ohio (Ohio Moss and Lichen Association).

Figure 4: Distribution of species throughout Ohio

Links:
http://ohiomosslichen.org/moss-anacamptodon-splachnoides/
http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=547524
http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/240/art%253A10.2307%252F2806443.pdf?originUrl=http%3A%2F%2Flink.springer.com%2Farticle%2F10.2307%2F2806443&token2=exp=1443574992~acl=%2Fstatic%2Fpdf%2F240%2Fart%25253A10.2307%25252F2806443.pdf%3ForiginUrl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flink.springer.com%252Farticle%252F10.2307%252F2806443*~hmac=c51cf80dcc8b7a175d5e97fe669835daf34bb4665bb5cada7f597110a7aec984
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ANSPA

Bryopsida Links:

http://tolweb.org/Bryopsida
http://www.dlia.org/class-bryopsida
http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=profile&symbol=Bryopsida&display=31
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/bryophyta.htm
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/bryophyta/bryophyta.html