Splachnaceae

plant family

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Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

The Splachnaceae are a family of mosses belonging to the order Funariales. These mosses are distinctive due to the swollen neck of their capsule. A key characteristic of the Splachnaceae family is their unique habitat: they typically grow on dung or decaying animal tissues. The genus Splachnum is the type genus for this family and is known for its rare mosses. These mosses have capsules where spores are produced only in the upper part, while the lower, colored half is significantly swollen and made of loose, chlorophyll-containing tissue.12

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bryophyte
Ecology and habitats
…species in the moss family Splachnaceae), somewhat shaded cavern mouths (the liverwort Cyathodium and the mosses Mittenia and Schistostega), leaf surfaces (the moss Ephemeropsis and the liverwort genus Metzgeria and many species of the liverwort family Lejeuneaceae), salt pans
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…species in the moss family Splachnaceae), somewhat shaded cavern mouths (the liverwort Cyathodium and the mosses Mittenia and Schistostega), leaf surfaces (the moss Ephemeropsis and the liverwort genus Metzgeria and many species of the liverwort family Lejeuneaceae), salt pans
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