Schistidium spinosum, also known as Dorniges Rotkäppchenmoos in German or Fendillette épineuse in French,Hofmann, H. (n.d.). Schistidium spinosum H.H.Blom & Lüth. Swissbryophytes. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://www.swissbryophytes.ch/index.php/de/bilder?taxon_id=nism-2738 is a very rare speciesSchistidium spinosum H.H. Blom & Lüth. (2026, January 14). Rote Liste Zentrum. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://www.rote-liste-zentrum.de/detailseite/?species_uuid=6427ef38-d742-49bc-8e07-a91ebec133ab of moss in the family Grimmiaceae native to Austria, France, Germany, and Switzerland. It is threatened with extinction.
Description Schistidium spinosum is a small, olive-green moss that forms round cushions or tufts. The individual plants have orange-red, strongly branched, 0.50–1.35 cm long stems. The epidermis is composed of 1–2 rows of thick-walled cells. The imbricate, smooth, erect, straight, narrowly ovate-lanceolate to ovate-triangular, 1.45–2.20(–2.50) mm long, and 0.30–0.60(–0.70) mm wide leaves are arranged in distinct spiral rows.
Taxonomy It was described by Hans H. Blom and Michael Lüth in 2002.Blom, H. H., & Luth, M. (2002). Schistidium spinosum, a new species from Europe and its relationship to S. liliputanum. Lindbergia, 27(3), 122-126.Brinda, J. C., & Atwood, J. J. (n.d.). Schistidium spinosum. The Bryophyte Nomenclator. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://www.bryonames.org/synonymy?search=Schistidium+spinosum The type specimen was collected on the 14 December 1998 by Michael Lüth in a rock quarry in the Yachtal by Elzach, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany at an elevation of 600 m above sea level.
Etymology The specific epithet spinosum means thorny or prickly.Petrou, C. (2022). Sarcopoterium spinosum. Flora of Cyprus. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://floraofcyprus.com/rosales/sarcopoterium-spinosum-cyprus/
Distribution and habitat It is native to Austria, France, Germany, and Switzerland, where it grows on siliceous rocks in hill and mountain areas at elevations of 450–2300 m above sea level. It colonises surfaces that have been exposed to the elements for at least 50–100 years.Lüth, M. (2006). Neue Moosfunde aus Südbaden und Bemerkungen zu einigen kritischen Arten. Herzogia, 19, 323-339.
Conservation It is a critically endangered species with less than 250 individual-equivalents (= 1 m2 on which the species grows) restricted to about 20 locations with an estimated area of occupancy of 80 km2. In Switzerland, it is critically endangered and only known from 2 locations.Kiebacher, T., Meier, M., Steffen, J., Bergamini, A., Schnyder, N., & Hofmann, H. (2023). Rote liste der Moose: Gefährdete Arten der Schweiz. Bundesamt für Umwelt (BAFU). In Germany, it is categorised as data deficient but the populations in Thuringia and Bavaria have experienced a sharp decline. A project focussing on the conservation of Schistidium spinosum was started by the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart.Thomas Kiebacher. (n.d.). Staatliches Museum Für Naturkunde Stuttgart. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/forschung/botanik/team-botanik/thomas-kiebacher#project-modal-7220-0Nopparat Anantaprayoon. (n.d.). Staatliches Museum Für Naturkunde Stuttgart. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/forschung/botanik/team-botanik/nopparat-anantaprayoon
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