''Bryum argenteum'', the silvergreen bryum moss or silvery thread 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

Bryaceae Bryaceae is a family of mosses. Genera Genera include:Buck, William R. & Bernard Goffinet. 2000. "Morphology and classification of mosses", pages 71-123 ''in'' A. Jonathan Shaw & Bernard Goffinet (Eds.), ''Bryophyte Biology''. (Cambridge: Cambri ...

. It is one of the most common mosses of urban areas and can be easily recognized without a microscope.

Description

The species is silvery-green or whitish-green colored when dry. This is because the broadly ovate shaped single leaflets in the tip do not form

chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to a ...

. The costa extends beyond the middle of the leaf. In damp, undisturbed locations, the branches may also form a more horizontal growth habit. The upper cells of the leaf surface are elongated rhomboid shaped. The capsule of the sporophyte is short cylindrical, appears broader at the base and is dark red to black colored. It has a high ability to tolerate drought and pollution of urban environments. ''B. argenteum'' is considered a desiccation tolerant species that can withstand total drying. While it is a common characteristic in mosses, ''B. argenteum'' was one of the first

bryophytes The Bryophyta s.l. are a proposed taxonomic division containing three groups of non-vascular land plants (embryophytes): the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. Bryophyta s.s. consists of the mosses only. They are characteristically limited i ...

experimentally determined to be desiccation tolerant.Gao B, Li X, Zhang D, et al. Desiccation tolerance in bryophytes: The dehydration and rehydration transcriptomes in the desiccation-tolerant bryophyte Bryum argenteum. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):7571. Published 2017 Aug 8. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-07297-3

Distribution and habitat

An adaptable plant, it has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

and is found in Europe, North America, the deserts of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and in

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

. It thrives in areas of high anthropogenic activity, growing on rocks, in gaps of paving stones, on asphalt, and on roadsides. It grows especially well in inner cities or in industrial areas. Being a nitrogen loving species, it is also found on nitrophilic soils in urban areas. It is found growing among lawns as well as in other moss communities. The species is often spread by vegetative fragments clinging to the shoes of people and the feet or hooves of animals. Another method of spread is in the production and sale of

liners "Liners" is a horticultural term referring to very young plants, usually grown for sale to retailers or wholesalers, who then grow them to a larger size before selling them to consumers. Liners are usually grown from seed, but may also be grown ...

. Liners infested with ''B. argentem'', often in association with ''

Marchantia polymorpha ''Marchantia polymorpha'' is a species of large thalloid liverwort in the class Marchantiopsida. ''M. polymorpha'' is highly variable in appearance and contains several subspecies. This species is dioicous, having separate male and female plants. ...

'', are commonly grown in one region of the country, transported to another region to continue growth, and are shipped to a retail location before being planted. Plants have the potential to pick up or disperse these species at each point of transfer.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1937687 argenteum Plants described in 1801 Cosmopolitan species Flora of Antarctica Desiccation Urban planning