Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: Cephalotus on October 11, 2018, 02:12:34 PM
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Hello to all,
I never had a chance to show you the Goblin's Gold - Schistostega pennata. After many years of searching, I finally managed to get a piece of about 0,5 square centimetre, which after more than 1,5 year of cultivation overgrown my growing container. I spread it a bit in Poland (~25 people), but they do not have so much luck with it as me. It is a very, very slow grower for the first 8 months, when it usually just stays as it was planted. After that time it starts to grow and the "glowing" effect of its protonema is spreading on the soil. This plant is not truly glowing, it has lens cells, which concentrate very weak light on chloroplasts and that is how it glows. It needs light to show the effect, shined from the angle it usually has light, because that is the side the cells are directed.
(http://www.rosliny-owadozerne.pl/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=32972)
(http://www.rosliny-owadozerne.pl/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=32731)
(http://www.rosliny-owadozerne.pl/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=33712)
(http://www.rosliny-owadozerne.pl/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=36871)
The growing conditions are:
- soil: mica slate soil (I also tried vermiculite and other type of slate, which contained calcareous ions and the moss died).
- temperatures: during growing season 14-20°C, during winter season 0-12°C. It will survive frosts, it has down to -3°C, but it does not need that and I am not giving it any lower temperatures. In the wild it lives through even -22°C.
- water and humidity: the water must be absolutely clean and lime free. The soil can never be wet, only constantly humid. It is prone to rotting when subjected to wet soil for too long, but it can survive very well slight draught, when the soil id starting to clump. I keep the container hermetically closed to prevent from fast water loss. I can't take constant care of my plants for two years now. I water the container at 1-2 a year, that is really all care it needs.
- light: it is keeps about 1 m away from a small window in my basement, when only now it receives a bit of direct sunlight for a short period of time. It does not need any direct sunlight at all. Most of the year it grows on the boarder of light and darkness. When the spot seems to be a bit too dark for you, than it is good. There still has to be some light at all, it is a living plant and it needs light to live. When given too much light, it will start producing leaves and the glowing effect will stop. I allow it to do so, so I could send it to others. When it is in its protonate- glowing - form, it is just impossible to send it, because the cells can be easily disturbed and destroyed. I need for it to have leaves to post it.
I am certain, that it could also easily grow in any temperate climate garden, when made a small cave out of proper rock type - that is the only problem. That is what I intend to do one day and have a magical cave to show to visitors. :)
I am attaching the only PDF article I found, that contains a lot of information regarding this species. Some of you might be interested with it. I really recommend to take a look at it, at least to see the amazing macro photos of the plant.
http://www.rosliny-owadozerne.pl/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=32732 (http://www.rosliny-owadozerne.pl/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=32732)
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Interesting. Also found in Britain but ? not Ireland: http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/bbs/Activities/mosses/Schistostega%20pennata.pdf (http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/bbs/Activities/mosses/Schistostega%20pennata.pdf)