Plant Identification

[Giddy_up]

Walking off track the other day (trip report coming) and on the side of a remote escarpment in SE QLD I found this little plant. I've never seen it before, any clues buy our "budding" botanists.

The first four pictures are of the plant, the last is roughly where it was growing.

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[icefest]

I'm not a botanist.

Were there any conifers growing nearby? They look similar to radiata seedlings. (A bit more bushy though)

[north-north-west]

Looks like some sort of moss.

[Giddy_up]

No, the only other plants were grass trees and eucalypts etc....

[greyim]

club moss

[MickyB]

I also think it is a type of moss. Mabe in the Polytrichum or Dawsonia family. Personally, I don't think it is a club moss.

[nlt82]

Where in SE QLD was it growing?

[calliejane24]

I'm not a bryologist, so I can't speak as an expert on mosses (but I am a botanist/ecologist....only masochists become bryologists ).
This is one of the Dawsonia species - there are three species occurring in the SEQ region (Dawsonia longiseta, D. polytrichoides and D. superba var. pulchra). As far as I know, Polytrichum commune (the only Polytrichum species recorded in Qld) doesn't extend into SEQ.

If you are feeling so inclined, you can key it out but I can guarantee it won't be much fun http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/Mosses_online/48_Polytrichaceae.html

[Giddy_up]

Thanks everyone for your input, very interesting plant and after looking at the Dawsonia I am going with that. This plant is definitely clumping, so does that mean it is a rare find for SEQ.

[MickyB]

Thanks everyone for your input, very interesting plant and after looking at the Dawsonia I am going with that. This plant is definitely clumping, so does that mean it is a rare find for SEQ.

Not sure Giddy_up. I suggested Dawsonia or Polytrichum just by the look of it. Wasn't sure about the distribution of either. Hopefully calliejane24 has more of an idea.

[calliejane24]

Not particularly rare. Well, put it this way, they're not listed as such and they are reasonably common/locally common within their preferred growing situation. I'm not sure which species you have - the three species differ in height and leaf size, and it's a bit hard to get a sense of scale from the photo. Two of the species get to around 20 - 25 cm and the other (D. longiseta) reaches 5 cm. All grow in similar situations.

That's probably not much help in narrowing it down but they are very cool plants all the same

[nq111]

Thanks everyone for your input, very interesting plant and after looking at the Dawsonia I am going with that. This plant is definitely clumping, so does that mean it is a rare find for SEQ.

Yeah not really - i have seen them a fair bit in SEQ.

When dry they close up into little sticks so you only tend to notice them when it has been wet. Yours look half dry (closing up at the bottom).