''Andreaea rothii'', or Roth's andreaea moss, is a species of

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

in the family

Andreaeaceae Andreaeaceae is a family of mosses which includes two genera, ''Andreaea'', containing about 100 species, and the genus ''Acroschisma''. The Andreaeaceae prefer rocky habitats ranging from tropical to arctic climates, on which they form tufted c ...

native to North America and parts of Europe. This plant was described in 1807 by Weber and Mohr.

Description

''Andreaea rothii'' gametophytes sometimes form extensive black to brown cushion-like patches, with individual shoots erect and less than 2 cm tall. The leaves of ''Andreaea rothii'' are 1-2 cm wide, and have a strong costa, which is roughly synonymous to a midrib. The leaves can be falcate-secund, curving to one side of the plant. This is especially true when wet, however the plants do not alter much when dry. The outline of the leaf is pear-shaped, swelling at the base and tapering to a tip, and can also be strongly curved depending on subspecies.

Distribution

''Andreaea rothii'' grows on rocks that are wet, acidic, and exposed. This species is found anywhere from areas of high elevation to sea-level.

Reproduction

''Andreae rothii'' gametophytes can be gonioautoicous—meaning the

antheridia An antheridium is a haploid structure or organ producing and containing male gametes (called ''antherozoids'' or sperm). The plural form is antheridia, and a structure containing one or more antheridia is called an androecium. Androecium is also t ...

are bud-like in the axil of an archegonial branch—or cladautoicous—meaning the antheridia and archegonia are found on different branches of the same plant. Like all of the Andreaeaceae,

sporangia A sporangium (; from Late Latin, ) is an enclosure in which spores are formed. It can be composed of a single cell or can be multicellular. Virtually all plants, fungi, and many other lineages form sporangia at some point in their life cy ...

are elevated on a pseudopodium, a structure resembling a seta but composed of gametophyte tissue rather than sporophyte tissue. The sporangia will dehisce longitudinally, forming slits through which spores are dispersed. This pattern of dehiscence gives the genus its common name: "Lantern mosses".

References

External links

* at explorer.natureserve.org {{Taxonbar, from=Q17199908 Andreaeaceae