Dendroalsia is a monotypic genus of moss containing a single species, Dendroalsia abietina. It belongs to the family Cryphaeaceae in the order Hypnales (class Bryopsida, phylum Bryophyta), and was formally described by Elizabeth Britton, with the description published by Viktor Ferdinand Brotherus in Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien (1909); its authorship is cited as "E.Britton ex Broth."
The genus is described as a rather large and conspicuous moss, distinctive for the way its stems curl downward into a shape resembling a clenched fist when the plant dries out — a feature that makes it easy to recognize in the field.
Dendroalsia is native to the Pacific coast of North America, where it is common throughout the Pacific Northwest, occurring across California, Oregon, Washington, and into British Columbia. Its range spans from Los Angeles County and the Channel Islands in the south to Vancouver Island in the north, and it is especially abundant in the oak woodlands of California's Inner Coast Ranges, the Sacramento Valley, and Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Ecologically, Dendroalsia is primarily a tree-trunk moss, often covering entire trunks so thoroughly that it leaves little room for other bryophytes to establish. It also grows on rocks. It tends to occupy the upper portions of tree trunks, in contrast to mosses such as Antitrichia californica and Antitrichia curtipendula, which favor the bases of oak trees — a niche differentiation that allows the two groups to coexist on the same host trees.
Distribution
Dendroalsia occurs along the Pacific coast of North America, common throughout the Pacific Northwest across California, Oregon, Washington, and into British Columbia, with its range spanning from Los Angeles County and the Channel Islands north to Vancouver Island. It is especially abundant in the oak woodlands of the Inner Coast Ranges, Sacramento Valley, and Willamette Valley.
Ecology
Dendroalsia typically grows on tree trunks, often covering them so completely that it crowds out competing bryophytes, and it also occurs on rocks. It tends to occupy the upper trunk, distinguishing its niche from mosses like Antitrichia californica and Antitrichia curtipendula, which favor the bases of oak trees.
Taxonomy Notes
Dendroalsia is a monotypic genus, containing only the species Dendroalsia abietina, placed in family Cryphaeaceae, order Hypnales. The genus authorship is cited as "E.Britton ex Broth.", with the formal description published by Brotherus in Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien (1909).
