Andreaea rothii, or Roth's andreaea moss,[1] is a species of moss in the family Andreaeaceae native to North America and parts of Europe.[2][3] This plant was described in 1807 by Weber and Mohr.[3]
Andreaea rothii gametophytes sometimes form extensive black to brown cushion-like patches,[4][3] with individual shoots erect and less than 2 cm tall.[4] The leaves of Andreaea rothii are 1-2 cm wide, and have a strong costa,[4][5] which is roughly synonymous to a midrib. The leaves can be falcate-secund, curving to one side of the plant.[4][3][5] This is especially true when wet, however the plants do not alter much when dry.[4] The outline of the leaf is pear-shaped, swelling at the base and tapering to a tip,[4][3] and can also be strongly curved depending on subspecies.[4]
Andreaea rothii grows on rocks that are wet, acidic, and exposed.[3][4] This species is found anywhere from areas of high elevation to sea-level.[4][3]
Andreae rothii gametophytes can be gonioautoicous—meaning the antheridia are bud-like in the axil of an archegonial branch—or cladautoicous—meaning the antheridia and archegonia are found on different branches of the same plant.[5] Like all of the Andreaeaceae, sporangia are elevated on a pseudopodium,[6] a structure resembling a seta but composed of gametophyte tissue rather than sporophyte tissue. The sporangia will dehisce longitudinally, forming slits through which spores are dispersed.[6][7] This pattern of dehiscence gives the genus its common name: "Lantern mosses".
Andreaea rothii, or Roth's andreaea moss, is a species of moss in the family Andreaeaceae native to North America and parts of Europe. This plant was described in 1807 by Weber and Mohr.
