Cyathophorum spp.

feather moss

Australasia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific

SunFull Shade – Part Shade

Overview

Cyathophorum spp. is a genus of pleurocarpous mosses in the family Hypopterygiaceae, found in moist, shaded forests of Australasia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. The plants form flattened, frond-like shoots 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) long, with two rows of larger leaves and a row of smaller underleaves, giving a fern-like, feathery outline. The shoots are translucent green and grow on shaded soil banks, rotting logs, rock, and the bases of trees in humid forest. Cyathophorum bulbosum is a widespread species in the cool, wet forests of south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. The genus favours deep shade, high humidity, and steady moisture, and it is sensitive to drying and exposure. Like other mosses it has no roots and absorbs water across its surface, drawing moisture from damp air and surfaces. It forms part of the ground and log flora of fern gullies and rainforest, holding moisture and contributing to the soft green understorey. Where humidity falls or shade is lost, the moss thins and disappears.

Native Range

Cyathophorum spp. is native to the cool, wet forests of Australasia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands. C. bulbosum grows in fern gullies and shaded forest in south-eastern Australia and New Zealand.

Suggested Uses

Cyathophorum spp. has no conventional horticultural use but is grown in terrariums, bottle gardens, and shaded moss plantings for its fern-like green shoots. In the wild it is part of the moist forest floor and log flora of fern gullies. Ecologically it holds moisture and forms part of the soft understorey of humid forest.

How to Identify

Identify Cyathophorum spp. by its flattened, frond-like shoots that look like miniature fern fronds, with two rows of larger leaves and smaller underleaves beneath. The translucent green shoots grow on shaded soil, logs, and tree bases in humid forest. The fern-like, one-plane shoot and the deep-shade forest habitat separate it from most other mosses.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1" - 4"

Colors

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

As a moss, Cyathophorum spp. reproduces by spores rather than flowers. Spore capsules are raised on short stalks from the shoots and ripen in the cooler, wetter months. The moss also spreads vegetatively as shoots branch and fragments establish on damp surfaces.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

translucent green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Shade SunPartial Shade

Tolerates up to 2 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Cyathophorum spp. is a wild forest moss rather than a cultivated plant and depends on deep shade, high humidity, and constant moisture. It grows on shaded soil banks, logs, rock, and tree bases in fern gullies and rainforest, and it cannot survive drying or direct sun. The moss draws all its water from humid air and wet surfaces, having no roots to reach soil moisture. It is grown occasionally in terrariums and shaded moss gardens, where enclosed humidity suits it. In the open garden it appears on its own in the dampest, shadiest corners. Loss of humidity, shade, or moisture causes it to brown and die back.

Pruning

As a wild moss, Cyathophorum spp. is not pruned. In a terrarium or moss garden it needs only the removal of dead or browned shoots and steady humidity. Sections can be lifted and relaid by hand to spread a colony onto new damp surfaces.

Container Growing

✓ Suitable for container growing

Minimum container size: 1 gallons

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic