#pottiaceae

There was a nice range of mosses around Wongan Hills, despite the scorching dry summers. On the granite inselbergs some of the moss formed beds inches deep. This one, found in Southern Australia and parts of New Zealand, conserves water in dry weather by winding its leaflets tightly around the shaft.

Tentative Tortula ID

11-AUG-2025

Star Moss Syntrichia ruralis Pottiaceae

The name literally means 'wall -twisted'.

A cosmopolitan species, very common in urban areas where it happily grows on brick and concrete, as well as elsewhere. Quite a good source of information on air pollution in cities, as it absorbs everything in the environment.

AKA Zygodon scaber, Zygodon preissii, Zygodon preissianus, Triquetrella scabra, Triquetrella filiformis, Leskea rubricaulis and Didymodon papillatus. Also known as Sproing Moss, because the leaves immeadiately spring back into a reflexed position when wetted.

The place we stayed at in Taupo had geothermal hot tubs attached to each room, that tapped into the scaldingly hot stream that runs streaming into the lake on the other side of the road. Swimming in that part of the lake can be something of an adventure.

This moss was growing on the footbridge over the stream, and despite the steam coming off the water was looking a little shrivelled. But then it does well in dry areas and is common in Australia and New Zealand where there is a dry, grassy understorey. It can form extensive mats in shade, but is most often found in open colonies creeping through the grass.

One from the previous trip, only just IDed. It was growing a stone retaining wall in the driest part of the South Island. The moss was pretty dry, too, and looks very different with some moisture.

Photo by Sam Kieschnick on iNaturalist. Probably would have got an ID sooner if the spore capsules were in evidence.

The genus was erected in 1801 by pioneering bryologist Johann Hedwig (1730 – 1799) in his work Species Muscorum Frondosorum, and named after Friedrich Wilhelm Weiss (1744–1826), a German lichenologist and botanist.

A widespread moss, found on all continents bar Antartica, and growing on many soil types. There are 90 others in the genus.

A cosmpolitan genus of moss, distinguished by and named after the twisted filaments of the peristome united by a basal membrane - see the tip of the spore capsule in the first photo. In mosses, the peristome can open and close to control the rate of spore release.