Specimen
Habitat
MP-0013 / 0024 â Grimmiaceae
Racomitrium canescens (Hedw.) Brid., s.l.
Sunagoke (JP)
A moss that dries out and revives, forming silver-green mats on sunlit rock and sand.
Distribution
Temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere; the Japanese taxon is treated here as a species complex, and its distribution requires confirmation.
Habitat
Open, sunny, well-drained ground: sandy soil, gravel and exposed rock surfaces.
Morphology
A mat-forming moss with branched, ascending shoots. The leaf tips are drawn out into long, whitish hair-points that give the mat a hoary (canescent) tone. As in other mosses, the plant is poikilohydric: it dries out and revives when wetted.
Botanical notes
Prized in Japanese gardens and roof greening for its tolerance of drought and full sun. The taxonomy of the group has been revised repeatedly (it is now often placed in Niphotrichum), so the exact taxon should be confirmed on voucher material.
References
Taxonomy and distribution follow Plants of the World Online (Kew), YList (Yonekura & Kajita) and regional floras; CITES Species+ for trade status. Descriptions are provisional and are revised as specimens are verified.