great hairy moss with long shaggy stems in wet forest
- Size
- Height: 5–15 cm
- Lifespan
- 5–10 years
- Diet
- Grows in dry, exposed, acidic soils on heaths, rocky banks, and disturbed ground. Requires well-drained, acidic soil and good light. Tolerates poor soils, drought, sun, and wind.
- Habitat
- Grows in dry, exposed, acidic soils on heaths, rocky banks, and disturbed ground. Forms upright, wiry, bluish-green colonies in tough places.
- Range
- Found throughout the North and South Islands in dry, exposed, acidic soils on heaths, rocky banks, and disturbed ground. Most common in dry, open areas of the South Island's high country and the North Island's volcanic plateau. Also found worldwide in temperate and cold regions.
- Endemism
- Native
- Main Threats
- None significant. This species is one of the most widespread and resilient mosses in the world. Localised threats include habitat loss from land development, quarrying of rock outcrops, and climate change affecting soil moisture.
- Population
- Not Threatened. Great hairy moss is one of the most widespread and resilient mosses in the world, found on every continent except Antarctica. In New Zealand, it is common in dry, exposed, acidic habitats throughout the country.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
The one that looks like it has seen things has stems that are upright and unbranched, reaching 5 to 10 centimetres in height. The leaves are long, narrow, and pointed, arranged in a dense spiral around the stem. They are stiff and wiry, with a distinctive bluish-green colour that sets them apart from other mosses. The leaves curl inward when dry, protecting the growing tip from desiccation. It is the moss of the tough place, the one that thrives where other mosses wither.
What makes it special is the toughness. Great hairy moss is one of the most drought-tolerant mosses in New Zealand. It can survive long periods of dry weather, curling its leaves inward to reduce water loss. When the rain returns, the leaves unfurl, and the moss greens up within hours. It is the moss of the resurrection, the one that comes back from the dead with every rain, the one that has learned to wait.
The great hairy moss is a close relative of the common haircap moss, and it shares many of its advanced features. It has a primitive vascular system, allowing it to grow taller than most mosses. Its leaves have microscopic lamellae (upright plates) on their upper surface, increasing the surface area for photosynthesis. The leaves also have a reddish-brown base, which gives the stem a distinctive striped appearance. Under a hand lens, the lamellae are visible, rows of tiny green fins on the leaf surface.
Biologically, the great hairy moss reproduces by spores, released from capsules at the tips of tall, reddish-brown stalks. The capsules are square-shaped when young, with a hairy calyptra (cap) that gives the genus its name. The spores are tiny, carried by the wind to new locations.
To find great hairy moss is to find the wiry, bluish-green patch on the dry bank. It is tough, wiry, and resilient, a living survivor on the exposed ground. You can run your finger over the tips and feel the stiffness, the wiry texture. It is the moss of the tough place, the one that thrives where most things have already given up, the one that proves that resilience is a form of strength.