BOTANY WITH BASICS OF HYDROBOTANY (AQUATIC PLANTS OF UKRAINE) - B.Ye. Yakubenko - 2011

IX. LOWER SPORE PLANTS

Family Amblystegiaceae

This family comprises about 250 species. Aquatic and wetland mosses are widely represented by species of the genera Cratoneurum, Campylium, Leptodictyum, Hygroamblystegium, Drepanocladus, Hygrohypnum, Calliergon, and Scorpidium.

Amblystegiaceous mosses are monoecious, dioecious, or polyoecious plants forming loose or dense turfs. Stems range from prostrate to erect, simple or pinnately branched. Leaves vary from ovate to lanceolate, with auricles, entire or toothed, with a developed costa. Sporogones are produced at the tips of lateral branches. The capsule is oblong-elliptic or cylindrical, without a neck or with a weakly defined neck. The peristome is double. The operculum is conic.

River hygrophilous moss (Hygroamblystegium fluviatile) is a monoecious, dark or yellowish-green, non-lustrous aquatic moss forming soft turfs on stones and wood in the waters of rivers and streams. Stems are pinnately branched, without paraphyllia. Leaves are spreading, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, entire, with a costa ending near the leaf apex. The capsule is oblong-cylindrical, curved. It sporulates in summer. The plants are consumed by crustaceans (amphipods).

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Fig. 96 Hooked moss (Drepanocladus aduncus)

Drepanocladus is a genus represented by monoecious or dioecious mosses that form green, yellowish-green, brown, or purple shiny turfs on damp soil, in bogs, along waterbody shores, and in water. Stems lack paraphyllia, and are simple or pinnately branched.

Leaves are falcately curved to one side, concave, ovate, triangular, cordate, or oblong-lanceolate, subulate-acuminate, with a simple costa. The capsule is cylindrical, curved. The operculum is sharply conical. The most widespread species are Drepanocladus aduncus (Fig. 96), Drepanocladus vernicosus, and Drepanocladus fluitans. The plants are consumed by crayfish.