Leucobryum glaucum, commonly known as leucobryum moss or pincushion moss, is a species of haplolepideous mosses (Dicranidae) with a wide distribution in eastern North America and Europe. It inhabits temperate forests in the Northern Hemisphere, and its structure allows it to absorb metal ions.Rice, S. K., and N. Schneider. 2004. Cushion size, surface roughness, and the control of water balance and carbon flux in the cushion moss Leucobryum glaucum (Leucobryaceae). American Journal of Botany 91(8): 1164–1172. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.91.8.1164Buljubasic, A., V. Stuhli, A. Dozic, M. Zohorovic, and A. Odobasic. 2022. Leucobryum glauculum moss as a biosorbent for removal of water hardness. Journal of Sustainable Technologies and Materials 3(22): 11-16. https://doi.org/10.57131/jstm.2022.3.2 Leucobryum glaucum reproduces through Apical growth, Fragmentation, and a form of sexual reproduction called Oogamy. This process requires moist conditions as the sperm can only travel through waterRice, Steven K., and Nicole Schneider. "Cushion size, surface roughness, and the control of water balance and carbon flux in the cushion moss Leucobryum glaucum (Leucobryaceae)." American Journal of Botany 91.8 (2004): 1164-1172.
Human Use Salinity stress is a major issue for crop production. TiO2, a naturally occurring inorganic compound, has been shown to help mitigate some of these issues, but chemically synthesizing these has a negative environmental impact. Biochar is a carbon-rich compound that has been shown to slow the impact of industrial pollution. Both of these compounds were synthesized from pincushion moss biomass and the results were promising. Salinity stress on the Amaranthus dubius (Chinese Spinach) had much less of an impact on production.
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External links Illinois Wildflowers - Leucobryum glaucum