funaria cord moss first to colonise bare disturbed soil
- Size
- Height: 1–3 cm
- Lifespan
- 1–3 years
- Diet
- Grows on disturbed ground, burnt soil, and bare earth in open, sunny locations. Requires open, sunny conditions and well-drained, acidic soil. Tolerates poor soils, drought, and disturbance. A pioneer species, one of the first plants to appear after fire.
- Habitat
- Grows on disturbed ground, burnt soil, and bare earth throughout New Zealand. A creature of the fresh start, the burnt ground, the places where the fire has passed and the land is waiting for life to return. A pioneer species, one of the first plants to appear after a fire, like it heard the starting gun and sprinted out of the blocks. Forms small, pale green to yellowish-green tufts with distinctive, twisted leaves and nodding, pear-shaped capsules on long, curved stalks. The moss of the fresh start, the one that turns up after fire like it heard the starting gun.
- Range
- Found throughout the North and South Islands on disturbed ground, burnt soil, and bare earth in open, sunny locations. Most common in areas with recent fire or disturbance. Also found in disturbed habitats worldwide, so not endemic.
- Endemism
- Native
- Main Threats
- None significant. This species is common and widespread in disturbed habitats. Localised threats include habitat loss from land development, fire suppression, and competition from other pioneer species. Classified as Not Threatened.
- Population
- Not Threatened. Funaria cord moss is common on disturbed ground, burnt soil, and bare earth throughout New Zealand. It is a widespread species found in disturbed habitats around the world.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
The one that shows up first after the fire has stems that are short and upright, reaching 1 to 3 centimetres in height, with leaves that are arranged in a loose spiral around the stem. The leaves are pale green to yellowish-green, with a distinctive, twisted shape when dry. But the most distinctive feature is the sporophyte, the spore-producing structure, which is a nodding, pear-shaped capsule on a long, curved, reddish-brown stalk. The stalk is hygroscopic, it twists and untwists with changes in humidity, coiling like a spring and uncoiling when wet. This movement helps to disperse the spores. It is the moss of the fresh start, the one that turns up after fire like it heard the starting gun.
What makes it special is the speed. Funaria cord moss is one of the fastest-colonising mosses in New Zealand. It produces a huge number of spores that can travel long distances. When a fire clears the ground, the spores germinate quickly, and the moss can complete its life cycle in just a few weeks. It is the moss of the pioneer life, the one that races in when the starting gun fires, the one that turns bare, burnt ground into green life before anything else has a chance.
The leaves are pale green to yellowish-green, with a distinct midrib and a twisted shape when dry. The leaf margins are entire (smooth), and the leaf tip is sharp and pointed. When wet, the leaves relax and spread out, revealing the stem beneath. This movement is an adaptation to conserve moisture, the leaves curling up to reduce water loss when the air is dry.
Biologically, the funaria cord moss reproduces by spores, released from the nodding, pear-shaped capsules. The capsules have a distinctive, bright yellow-green colour when young, turning brown with age. When the capsule matures, a ring of teeth (the peristome) opens and closes with changes in humidity, releasing the spores gradually.
To find funaria cord moss is to find the small, pale green tufts on the burnt ground. They are small and unassuming, but they are the first sign of life after the fire. It is the moss of the fresh start, the one that turns up after fire like it heard the starting gun, the one that proves that even after destruction, life finds a way.