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luminous moss
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luminous moss

plant species
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Also known as: Schistostega osmundacea, Schistostega pennata, elfin-gold
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Also called:
Elfin-gold
Related Topics:
Schistostega
See all related content

luminous moss, (Schistostega pennata; formerly S. osmundacea), light-reflecting plant of the subclass Bryidae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. It forms green mats in caves, holes in wood or earth, or cavities between rocks or under tree roots. A luminous moss is about one centimetre (1/2 inch) or more tall. The lower part of the caulid (stem) is bare, and the upper part has two rows of phyllids (leaves), causing the plant to resemble a small fern frond. Male plants have budlike reproductive organs. The small capsule (spore case) of the female plant resembles a pinhead. The golden-green appearance of the moss is caused by reflection of light from chlorophyll grains in lens-shaped cells of the protonema—the filamentous structure that grows from the germinating spore and eventually produces the sexual plant (gametophyte).

This article was most recently revised and updated by William L. Hosch.