Moss Specimen

Date2007

Dimensions0.5 x 9 x 6.5 cm (3/16 x 3 9/16 x 2 9/16 in.)

Object numberHF.2012.49.15

DescriptionA sample of yellow-green, Callicladium haldanianum [Grev.] Crum plus Hypnaceae moss with thin arching branches with small, feather-like leaves positioned alternate each other. The center of the sample is densely interwoven with very thin, smooth, copper-coloured shoots. The reverse side is dark brown, light-brown around the edges with a section of grey-brown fiber (wood?).

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Bryophyta
Class: Bryopsida
Order: Hypnales
Family: Hypnaceae Schimp.
Genus: Callicladium H.A. Crum
Species: Callicladium haldanianum [Grev.] Crum

Narrative

Collected August 7, 2007 by Rosemary Curley in Richmond, Prince County, PEI (46°29'22.38"N,64°0'20.64"W. Datum: NAD83). Collected in a rich, wet hardwood forest from a rotten log.

Callicladium haldanianum [Grev.] Crum grows in thin mats of green and brown. It has long, straight capsules which curve just below the peristome. Stems are 3-8 cm in length and erratically branched which narrow at the end. The feathery leaves have short double costa, are closely packed and are 1-2mm long and 0.5-0.8mm wide.

Callicladium haldanianum is commonly found growing on fallen tree trunks, rotting logs, and in soil and rocks in wet areas. It is commonly used in terrariums as it is considered a low maintenance, easy to care for moss. It is native to North America and is found geographically in Europe and Asia. Locally, it is found throughout all three Maritime provinces.

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