Anomobryum julaceum

A number of names have been used for this species. In 1802 this species was first described as Bryum julaceum. In 1860, the species was transferred to Anomobryum filiforme. In 1935 Andrews combined both names into Pohlia filiformis (Grout 1935). Lawton (1971), Crum and Anderson (1981), and Ireland (1982) and used the name Pohlia filiformis. Sharp, Crum and Eckel (1994) chose to use the prior name, Bryum filiforme and Noguchi (1988) used Anomobryum filiforme. Based on the international rules of nomenclature, Crosby et al. (1999) placed all of the above names under the name Anomobryum julaceum.[4]

Plants are often described as small, slender, julaceous, yellowish to pale-green, often whitish green in color. They form dense shiny tufts or scattered shoots with reddish stems. The leaves are .5-1.5 mm long with narrow, linear-vermicular thick-walled upper leaf cells. Lower leaf cells are broadly rectangular, thin-walled, and often bulging. Aongstroemia orientalis is a similar looking species to A. julaceum in having short, julaceous stems and broadly obtuse leaves. The leaves are ovate or oblong-ovate, concave, not decurrent. The apex is sometimes serrated at the appex. The sporophyte has seta can grow up to 2 cm long and has spores that are approximately 10 um. The species also has a double peristome and endostome with appendiculate cilia.[4]

Their stems are observed to be orange and forked by innovations and often producing numerous red ovoid brood bodies in the leaf axils.[3]

Anomobryum filliforme is widespread in the temperate regions of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. In the Pacific Northwest it is known to be found in Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon and California. The Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center reports it from Baker, Clatsop, and Klamath Counties.[4]

Trail, road, ski trail construction, and quarrying could eliminate local populations by destroying substratum and habitat. Rock climbing can impact populations on cliffs.[4] In the state of California, it is included on the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California.[5]

There are few details known about the life history of the Anomobryum filiforme. Protonema, bud and shoot formation is typical for all moss development. Asexual reproductive structures have not been reported for this species.