SPECIES FACT SHEET
Common Name: Awl-leaved swan-neck moss
Scientific Name:
Campylopus subulatus Schimp. ex J. Milde
Recent synonyms:
Division: Bryophyta
Class: Bryopsida
Order: Dicranales
Family: Dicranaceae
Technical Description: Plants yellowish-green to green, in loose often
ridge slender tufts up to 2 cm tall. Leaves 3-4 mm long, spreading when
wet, appressed when dry, lanceolate narrowing into a short, straight
subula with slightly serrate apex; margins entire below; upper median
cells short, subquadrate; alar cells not differentiated or sometimes
slightly larger than basal laminal cells; costa ½ - 2/3 the width of the
leaf; steroids lacking. Dioicous; capsule elliptical, smooth, not seen in
North American populations, rare in Europe, Asexual reproduction by
fragile apical shoots.
Distinctive characters: (1) costa lacking stereid cells (2) furrowed costa
(3) lack of a hairpoint.
Similar species: The two other species found in Oregon, Campylopus
introflexus and Campylopus schmiidii are separated from C. subulatus by
their hairpoints. Campylopus subulatus is distinguished from
Campylopus schimperi by the short, nearly subquadrate upper laminal
cells and strongly ribbed dorsal side of the costa.
Other descriptions and illustrations: Frahm (1981), Frahm (2007),
Nyholm (1954), Pedrotti (2001).
Life History: Specific details for this species are not well documented.
In general the protonema, spore germination and development are typical
of all mosses. Sporophytes have never been found in North American
and are rare in Europe.
Range, Distribution, and Abundance: Campylopus subulatus is known
from Europe and Asia. In North America it is only known from California
and Oregon. According to Norris & Shevock (2004) C. subulatus occurs
in Del Norte Co., (Six Rivers National Forest), San Francisco Co., Santa
Cruz Co. and Shasta Co.
Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center reports it from Douglas,
Jackson, and Josephine Counties.
BLM: Documented on Medford and Roseburg Districts
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USFS: Documented on Siuslaw NF.
This species is rare in North America, but may be under-collected or
misidentified. Schofield (1976) states that C. subulatus is “very rare in
the Province; known from a few sub-alpine localities.”
Habitat Associations: According to Frham & Vitt, (1978) C. subulatus is
a low elevation species with suboceanic tendency. In California,
populations were found in an oak woodland, Douglas-fir forest and on
sand dunes with Pinus contorta from 80-200 m. The Siuslaw NF site
was located at Cape Perpetua, immediately along the Pacific coast.
Threats: Road, trail or development at or near known locations could be
a threat to this species. Off road vehicle traffic could threaten known
locations. Over collecting for scientific purposes also could be a threat.
Conservation Considerations: Verify the collections if not already done.
Although unlikely to be confused with the two other species of
Campylopus found in Oregon, this species could be confused with C.
schimperi which is found in British Columbia but has not been reported
from Washington or Oregon.
Conservation Rankings and Status:
Global: G3G5, Oregon (S1)
Oregon: ORNHIC List 3
Washington: Not ranked
BLM Strategic Species in Oregon
Preparer: Judith A. Harpel Ph.D.
Edited by: Rob Huff
Date Completed: October 2008
Updated by R. Huff in January 2010 to reflect new site information on
Roseburg BLM and Siuslaw NF
Updated by David Wagner, May 2010 (Taxonomic Note deleted;
Distribution updated; Citation added; Illustration appended.)
Revised by Candace Fallon, February 2011(Revision adds Attachment 1,
Photos)
ATTACHMENTS:
(1) Illustration
(2) Photos
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References:
Frahm, J. 2007. Campylopus In Flora of North America North of Mexico.
Bryophyta Vol. 27 Part 1: 366-376. Oxford Univ. Press. Oxford
Frahm, J. 1981. Synopsis of the Genus Campylopus in North America
North of Mexico. The Bryologist 83(4): 570-588.
Frahm, J.-P., & D. Vitt. 1978. A Taxonomic study of Campylopus
schimperi and C. subulatus (Bryopsida: Dicranaceae) in North
America. Brittonia 30(3): 365-372.
Frahm, J.-P. 2007. Campylopus. in FNA Editorial Committee. Flora of
North America, vol. 27. Oxford University Press, New York. pp.
366-376.
NatureServe Explorer. 2008. An Online Encyclopedia of Life.
http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/
Norris, D. & J. Shevock. 2004. Contributions Toward a Bryoflora of
California: I. A Specimen-Based Catalogue of Mosses. Madroño
51(1): 1-131.
Nyholm, E. 1954. Illustrated Moss Flora of Fennoscandia. II Musci. Ed.
by The Botanical Society of Lund. CWK Gleerup. Lund, Sweden.
pp. 76-80.
Pedrotti, Cortini Carmela. 2001. Flora dei muschi d’Italia,
Sphagnopsida Andreaeopsida Bryopsida (1 parte). Antonio Delfino
Editore medicina-scienze. Roma, Italy. 817 pp.
Schofield, W. 1976. Bryophytes of BC III: habitat and distributional
information for selected mosses. Syesis 9: 317-354.
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Attachment 1 – Illustration
From Flora of North America, vol. 27, p. 373.
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Attachment 2 – Photos
All photos by J. Harpel, under contract with the Oregon/Washington Bureau of Land
Management.
Alar and basal cells
Lower medial cells
Upper medial cells
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Basal leaf cross section
Composite cross sections
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Leaf
Leaf apex
Leaf cross section
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Whole mount dry
Whole mount wet
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