Plate 100 · on a wet rock beside a waterfall IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Narrow, wavy leaves, with toothed margins.
- 2Lamellae on the midrib, typical of the family.
- 3Inclined cylindrical capsule with a beaked lid.
- 4Smooth calyptra, hairless, unlike Polytrichum.
- 5Several reddish setae per plant.
Easily confused with Haircap mossPolytrichum spp.Stiff, unwaved leaves and a very hairy calyptra. 100 / 100 · PLANTS · POLYTRICHACEAENOT EVALUATED Many-fruited wavy moss
Atrichum polycarpum
Musgo de hojas onduladas · Catherine's moss
A moss from the haircap family, with narrow, wavy leaves. It forms turfs on wet rocks and waterfalls in the montane forest. Its name polycarpum means "many fruits": each plant can carry several capsules.
- Height
- a few cm
- Altitude
- c. 850 – 1,450 m
- Capsules
- several per plant
- Habitat
- wet rocks, banks
- Moss
- Haircap family
- Wet rocks
- Spores
Altitude rangeHumid montane forest
Tucumán records Recorded in Tucumán near Yerba Buena, on the climb to San Javier, at Villa Nougués and on the road up to La Banderita, between 850 and 1,450 m.
EcologyWater and shade
- Splash waterWaterfalls and wet rocks
- Rock and soilBanks and stones · substrate
- ShadeUnder the canopy
- Small invertebratesLive in the turf
Its turfs hold water and slow erosion on banks. They shelter mites, springtails and tardigrades.
Life cycleTwo generations
- The green plant. The leafy shoots are the generation that makes gametes.
- Fertilised by water. Sperm swim through raindrops to the female plants.
- Capsules and spores. Each fertilisation grows a reddish stalk with a capsule that releases spores to the wind.
Where to look in Tucumán- Sierra de San Javier
- Villa Nougués
- Cuesta de La Banderita