Pincushion Moss

Overview

Leucobryum glaucum is  native to North America and this moss will grow in dense clumps and will have beautiful foliage. The way this plant grows gives it its name because it grows in clumps and they look like cushions. This plant is used for decorative purposes as well as can be used in terrariums, aquariums or grown indoors. 

Vernacular Names

No found data on this. Need further research.

Agroecology

Pincushion moss is most commonly found in areas such as moist woodlands and marshes, because it requires much shade and water to survive and reach its potential. Grows in just plain soils, rock ledges, bases of dead or living tree trunks as well as logs.

Morphology

• Rhizoids - fibrous rhizoids at apex.
• Stems - long, 1-12 cm, pale green (turning brown with age), glaucous, and terete; sometimes they fork dichotomously. The leaves occur in overlapping pseudowhorls along these stems, although they turn brown and wither away below.
• Leaves - glaucous foliage of this moss varies in color from pale grayish green to medium green, 3-9 mm, limb concave to subtululose, erect or erect-spreading, sometimes falcate-secund, apex acute or apiculate, usually ± serrulate at the tip, spreading from oblong-obovate sheath, 1-2 times the length of sheath; costa in transverse section near base showing lateral, thicker regions composed mostly of 2-3 layers of enlarged leucocysts on both sides of the central layer of chlorocysts and a central, thinner region composed of 1 layer of smaller leucocysts adaxial to and 2 layers abaxial to the chlorocysts, occasionally with only 1 layer of leucocysts on both sides of the chlorocysts; lamina narrow, 5-11 cells wide.
• Seta - because this moss is dioecious, male reproductive organs and female reproductive organs are located on separate plants. The male plants often occur above the female plants in a dwarfed form. On uncommon occasions, fertile female plants produce solitary sporophytes. Each sporophyte consists of a spore-bearing capsule on a slender stalk (seta) 8-18 mm, reddish
• Capsule - strongly inclined and curved when dry and empty, usually strumose, 1.5-2 mm, red to reddish brown; operculum 1.5-2 mm; peristome teeth dark red. 
• Spores - nearly smooth to minutely papillose, 13-18 µm.

Cultivation

Specialized asexual reproduction by clusters of small caducous leaf-like gemmae at stem tip and by leaves with rhizoids at apex. This moss is capable of reproducing asexually when its dry leaves are broken off as a result of disturbance. With the return of moisture, such leaves are capable of forming their own fibrous rhizoids, starting the development of new clonal plants. When a cushion of this moss is overturned from some kind of disturbance, the leaves lying against the ground are able to develop new fibrous rhizoids to anchor the entire cushion to the ground.

Chemical Constituents

Terpenoids, phenolics, glycosides, fatty acids, essential oils (aldehydes, terpenes, aliphatic and aromatic compounds).

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• Studies had shown antibacterial, antitumor, antiseptic, anticoagulant, nerve protecting, and cytotoxic properties.
• Further research is needed to know more about the potential of the traditional medicine of this species.