ferns out on the damp forest floor logs

Size
Height: 5–10 cm
Lifespan
5–10 years
Diet
Photosynthetic. Grows on forest floor, rotting logs, and damp banks. Requires consistent moisture and rich organic soil.
Habitat
Grows on the forest floor, on rotting logs, and on damp banks throughout New Zealand. Forms loose, sprawling mats of finely branched, feathery stems.
Range
New Zealand - found throughout the North and South Islands on forest floor, rotting logs, and damp banks. Common in temperate regions worldwide.
Endemism
Native
Main Threats
None significant - this species is common and widespread. Localised threats include forest clearance, stream modification, and climate change.
Population
Not Threatened. Thuidium fern moss is common on the forest floor, on rotting logs, and on damp banks in damp, shaded forests throughout New Zealand.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
common moss, safe to handle
Conservation Note
Native moss; not assessed by NZTCS as bryophytes are generally outside the scope of current threat classifications.
Te Ao Māori
No recorded Māori name distinguishes the thuidium fern moss from other mosses. Mosses were generally called "pūkohu" (mosses and lichens) or "rimu" (a general term for small, low-growing plants). The tiny, fern-like mats on the forest floor would have been noticed – they looked like the feathers of a bird, like the fronds of a fern – but no distinct name survives. The thuidium fern moss was sometimes used as a decoration. The delicate, fern-like mats were gathered and used to line baskets or to adorn the whare. Today, the thuidium fern moss still grows on the forest floor of our dampest forests, on the rotting logs of our gullies, on the banks of our streams.
It wanted to be a fern but gave up halfway. Thuidium tamariscinum is the one that looks like a tiny fern. Its stems are creeping and sprawling. Reaching five to ten centimetres in length. With branches that are arranged in a flat, feathery, fern-like pattern. The branches are themselves branched. Creating a delicate, lacy appearance. The leaves are tiny, overlapping, and pressed close to the stem. Giving the branches a smooth, continuous look. The colour is a soft, yellowish-green to dark green. Often with a golden sheen. It forms loose, sprawling mats on the forest floor. Looking like a miniature fern that lost its ambition. A fern that decided it was too much effort and settled for being a moss instead. It is the moss of the tiny fern. What makes it special? The ferniness. Thuidium fern moss is one of the most fern-like mosses in New Zealand. Its finely branched, feathery stems look exactly like a miniature fern. The kind you would find in a fairy garden or a terrarium. It is the moss of the fern disguise. The one that pretends to be something it is not. The leaves of thuidium fern moss are another feature. They are tiny and overlapping. With a distinct midrib and a pointed tip. The leaves are arranged in a flat plane. Giving the branches their fern-like appearance. Biologically, the thuidium fern moss reproduces by spores. Released from capsules on short stalks. It also spreads by fragmentation. The thuidium fern moss grows on the forest floor. On rotting logs. And on damp banks in damp, shaded forests. To find thuidium fern moss is to find the delicate, fern-like mats on the forest floor. They are soft, feathery, and finely branched. A miniature fern that lost its ambition. It is the moss of the tiny fern. The one that wanted to be a fern but gave up halfway. No recorded Māori name distinguishes the thuidium fern moss from other mosses. Mosses were generally called pūkohu or rimu. The tiny, fern-like mats on the forest floor would have been noticed. They looked like the feathers of a bird. Like the fronds of a fern. No distinct name survives. The thuidium fern moss was sometimes used as a decoration. The delicate, fern-like mats were gathered and used to line baskets or to adorn the whare. Today, the thuidium fern moss still grows on the forest floor of our dampest forests. On the rotting logs of our gullies. On the banks of our streams. You can see it where the shade is deep and the air is damp. Where the moss spreads its delicate, fern-like mats. It is the thuidium fern moss. The fern-disguise one. The one that wanted to be a fern but gave up halfway.