Isothecium myosuroides – “Cat-Tail Moss”

Hermann Schachner Aufnahmeort: Wolfsschlucht bei Bad Kreuzen, Mühlviertel, Oberösterreich, Austria

The Isothecium myosuroides, better known by its common name Cat-Tail Moss, is a small flowerless plant in the class Bryopsida. (Plants.usda.gov, n.d.) Bryopsida is made up of True Mosses, these mosses make up the largest class of mosses and contain nearly 95% of all known mosses. (iNaturalist.org, n.d.) The group is largely distinguished by having pore capsules with teeth.(iNaturalist.org, n.d.) The Cat-Tail Moss is a member of the order Hypnales and the family Brachytheciaceae. (Plants.usda.gov, n.d.) The plant is glossy and its colour varies from whitish-green to a pale brownish-green. The leaves can reach up to 2.0mm in length and it has sharply toothed edges.
(Pojar, MacKinnon & Alaback, 1994) Further, it has a distinctively tree like growth, it often grows in dense mats so its tree like form may not be instinctively apparent. (Blockeel, T, n.d.)

Location:

Isothecium myosuroides  is described as being “Dirt Common”, meaning it is as common as dirt. (Pojar, MacKinnon & Alaback, 1994) It can also be found in some areas of the east coast of North America. (Fretwell, K., Cruickshank, I., & Starzomski, B. , n.d. ) In the USA it can be found in Montana and New York where as in Canada the moss is found in BC, Labrador, New Bruinswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec. (Natureserve.org, n.d.)

Habitat:

Malcom Storey / Discover Life

Isothecium myosuroides is an extremely variable moss and can often be found hanging like a curtain from branches, matted on tree trunks, on logs, or trailing on bolders. (Vitt, D., & Marsh, J. ,1988) Primarily located in humid coastal rain forests (Vitt, D., & Marsh, J. ,1988)It can be found in low to middle elevations and is heavily found on the Pacific coast between Alaska and California. Further, they tend to prefer woodland and shaded areas near moisture.  (Blockeel, T, n.d.)

 

Bibliography: 

Blockeel, T. (n.d.). Sothecium myosuroides. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.bbsfieldguide.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/mosses/Isothecium_myosuroides.pdf

Fretwell, K., Cruickshank, I., & Starzomski, B. (n.d.). Cat-tail moss • Isothecium myosuroides. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.centralcoastbiodiversity.org/cat-tail-moss-bull-isothecium-myosuroides.html

iNaturalist.org,. True Mosses (Class Bryopsida). Retrieved 17 November 2014, from http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48372-Bryopsida

Natureserve.org (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Isothecium myosuroides

Plants Profile for Isothecium myosuroides (isothecium moss). (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ISMY2

Pojar, J. (1994). Plants of coastal British Columbia: Including Washington, Oregon & Alaska. Vancouver: Lone Pine Pub.

Vitt, D., & Marsh, J. (1988). Mosses, lichens & ferns of northwest North America. Edmonton, Alta.: Lone Pine ;.

Written by James Blumhagen