Family HYPNACEAE

Common names

SNAKE MOSS
TONGUE MOSS

Microhabitat

The samples that we found along Tatlow trail grew on old logs, stumps, and on the ground on needle litter, mostly in shaded areas. This is typical of the habitats this species is usually found in.

Distribution

This moss is found extensively throughout Europe and western North America. It also grows in China and New Guinea. On the Pacific coast of North America, it is found from southeastern Alaska to northern California, mostly in coastal regions at lower elevations.

Typical habit
Photo Credit: Yan Zhuang

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Morphology

Plants of this species are quite large, usually pale green and not glossy. The stems can be 15 cm or longer, with sparse, irregular branches. The leaves are closely packed, imbricate, somewhat rounded, and strongly undulate (especially near the end of the shoots). They have two short costae. Microscopically, the leaf cells are covered in tiny granular, cuticular papillae that are more abundant on the underside of the leaves. The setae of this species are 25-45 mm, reddish brown, solitary, and sometimes twisted or curved. The sporophyte capsules are wrinkled when dry, and they vary in angle from inclined to pendant.

Key identifying features

The flattened appearance of this species may cause it to be confused with a liverwort, but a closer examination will reveal that it has leaves which are occuring in more than 2 rows, and have just been ‘pressed’ so that they only seem to come off the branch in two lateral rows.

Once you have assured yourself that you do indeed have a moss, the undulating (wavy) leaves, and flattened, prostrate habit are the best indication that the sample is Buckiella undulata. Neckera and Metaneckera species also have undulate leaves, but they are epiphytic, while B. undulata is not. If older sporophytes are present, the fact that they are grooved with a twisted seta also distinguishes this species.

Interesting notes

The genus name of this species was formerly Plagiothecium, and was changed as recently as 2001 based on morphological information. A new genus, named after American bryologist, William R. Buck, was created in the family Hypnaceae for it (and one other species from Hawaii). This decision was based on the fact that the leaf cells of Buckiella are covered in microscopic papillae, unlike any other species in Plagiothecium. The specific epithet of this plant (undulata) means wavy edged, or undulate, and refers to the characteristically wavy leaves of this species.

Selected References

Lawton, E. 1971. Moss flora of the Pacific Northwest. The Hattori Botanical Laboratory, Ninchinan, Miyazaki, Japan.

Schofield, W.B. 1992. Some common mosses of British Columbia, 2nd ed. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, Canada.

UBC Botany photo of the day for December 24, 2005 [online] http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2005/12/buckiella_undulata.php

By Sharon Jeffery

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© 2006 Department of Botany, University of British Columbia