Taxiphyllum barbieri
{{Short description|Southeast Asian moss}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Java moss
| image = Javamoos.jpg
| genus = Taxiphyllum
| species = barbieri
| authority = (Cardot & Copp.) Z. Iwats.
}}
Taxiphyllum barbieri, known as Java moss or Bogor moss, is a moss belonging to the family Hypnaceae.{{cite book |last1=Goffinet |first1=B. |first2=W. R. |last2=Buck |first3=A. J. |last3=Shaw |year=2008 |chapter=Morphology and Classification of the Bryophyta |pages=55–138 |editor-last1=Goffinet |editor-first1=B. |editor-first2=J. |editor-last2=Shaw |title=Bryophyte Biology |edition=2nd |location=New York City |publisher=Cambridge University Press (CUP) |isbn=978-0-521-87225-6 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=te0fAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT108}}{{cite web |last1=Goffinet |first1=B. |first2=W.R. |last2=Buck |title=Classification of extant moss genera |website=Classification of the Bryophyta |date=4 March 2014 |url=http://bryology.uconn.edu/classification/#BRYIDAE |access-date=1 May 2020}} Native to Southeast Asia, it is commonly used in freshwater aquariums. It attaches to rocks, roots, and driftwood. In the wild, it grows in humid riparian areas.
It was originally described as Isopterygium barbieri from Vinh, Vietnam.{{cite journal|url=https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.pc0693256|title=Type of Isopterygium barbieri Cardot & Copp. [family HYPNACEAE]|publisher=JSTOR}}
Description
The species is dioecious and perennial. It forms loose cushions of irregularly arranged branches. Leaves are two-ranked and flat. It has only been recorded in the wild in Vietnam.{{cite web |title=Taxiphyllum barbieri - Java moss |url=https://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/taxiphyllum-barbieri |website=Flowgrow |access-date=9 February 2022 |language=en}}
Cultivation and uses
In the aquarium trade, Java moss can refer to either Taxiphyllum barbieri or Vesicularia dubyana, and it can be difficult to distinguish between the species.{{cite book |last1=Kasselmann |first1=Christel |title=Aquarium Plants |date=2020 |location=Teltow, Germany |isbn=978-3-00-064912-7 |page=558}}{{cite journal|lang=en|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-03-04|year=2005|volume=102|pages=8–11|first3=C. W.|first2=K. L.|first1=B. C.|last3=Gan|last2=Loh|last1=Tan|journal=Singapore Scientist|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071657/http://sea.nus.edu.sg/aquatic-mosses.pdf|title=A case of mistaken identity? What is the true identity of Java Moss and other aquarium mosses sold in Singapore shops?|url=http://sea.nus.edu.sg/aquatic-mosses.pdf}} T. barbieri was first introduced to European aquarists in 1968, where it was initially misidentified as Glossadelphus zollingeri.
T. barbieri is one of the most common mosses in the aquarium trade. It does not require any special attention and propagates readily. It accepts all kinds of water, even weakly brackish, and light qualities. It grows best at {{convert|68 to 86|F}} but can live in temperatures outside this range. It makes a good foreground plant. Due to its clinging nature, Java moss can be made into a moss carpet.
It is trendy among aquarists raising fry (baby fish) and tadpoles, to protect them from cannibalistic adults. Some shrimp feed on the various microorganisms and detritus that collect on the moss.
Java moss can be easily propagated via division. It is suitable for both aquatic and terrestrial cultivation in vivariums. Spore capsules are rarely formed in cultivation.
See also
- Vesicularia montagnei, also known as "Christmas moss" or "Brazil moss"
References
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