Tetrodontium brownianum
Species of moss
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tetrodontium brownianum is a species of moss commonly known as Brown's tetrodontium moss[2] or Brown's four-tooth moss.[3] It is widely distributed. In North America it is found in Washington state and British Columbia on the west coast and from Newfoundland to Ohio to the east.[1] It is also present in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom as well as Japan, New Zealand and Chile.[4][5]
| Tetrodontium brownianum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Division: | Bryophyta |
| Class: | Tetraphidopsida |
| Order: | Tetraphidales |
| Family: | Tetraphidaceae |
| Genus: | Tetrodontium |
| Species: | T. brownianum |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetrodontium brownianum Dickson. Schwaegr.[1] | |
It is named after Robert Brown, the Scottish botanist who first discovered the plant growing at Roslin near Edinburgh in the late 18th century whilst still a student. The plant can still be found at the site of its discovery.[6]
Characteristics
This moss species is minute, typically no more than 2 mm in height, often occurring as dark brown sporophytes emerging directly from rock surfaces. The leafy shoots are also very small, composed of a few overlapping leaves, approximately 1 mm long. The growth originates from a persistent protonema, producing specialised protonemal leaves. They may reach up to 2.5 mm in length and are typically shiny and linear.[7]
Habitat
Tetrodontium brownianum is commonly found under overhangs and on base-enriched siliceous rock faces. It is usually located in the shade.[7]
