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Tortula cernua
Also called Flamingo moss, Narrowed Leaved Screw Moss
Tortula cernua, also known as narrowleaf screw moss and flamingo moss, is a widely-distributed species of moss in the family Pottiaceae. First described in 1833, it is characterised by elliptical leaves with distinctive bordered margins and spore capsules that bend downward at an angle. The species exhibits an unusual reproductive strategy involving springtails that may assist in fertilisation by transferring sperm between plants. While found across Europe, North and South America, and Asia, it is considered rare in many areas, including Britain where it is classified as endangered. It grows primarily on calcareous substrates, particularly on lime-rich waste from historical industrial sites, and requires specific chemical and environmental conditions to grow, making it vulnerable to habitat loss.
The species has a wide global distribution, occurring in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. In Europe, while it is found across the continent, records are typically sparse and isolated. In Switzerland, where it was last observed in 1942, it historically occurred in the eastern Central Alps and Ticino regions from hillside areas up to subalpine elevations at 200–1,500 m (660–4,920 ft). In these areas, it grew on old, damp walls and rocks, preferring calcareous stone substrates like mortar and clay, as well as sandy-loamy soils.
Cuspidate earth-moss · Tortula moss · Tortula paulsenii · Tall Pottia · Tortula moss · Many-fruited beardless moss
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Tortula cernua by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
