Buxbaumia aphylla Hedw.

Japanese: キセルゴケ（英語表記）Buxbaumia aphylla Hedw.

A moss of the family Cladophyceae with extremely degenerated gametophytes (illustration). It is distributed in high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, and in Japan, it is rarely found in mountainous areas throughout the country, growing scattered on soil or rocks covered with a thin layer of humus. The gametophyte is so small that it is almost invisible to the naked eye. It is dioecious. The sporophyte resembles a large tobacco pipe with a gooseneck, and its appearance is reminiscent of a fungal fruiting body (mushroom) (in fact, in ancient times it was considered a type of fungus). The capsule stalk is thick, 5 to 10 mm long, and the capsule is broadly ovate with a clear dorsoventral shape.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

配偶体が極端に退化したキセルゴケ科の蘚類（イラスト）。北半球の高緯度地域に分布し，日本では全国の山地に稀産し，薄い腐植質でおおわれた土上や岩上に散生する。配偶体は肉眼ではほとんど認められないほど小さい。雌雄異株。胞子体は雁首（がんくび）の大きい煙管（きせる）に似ており，外見は菌類の子実体(キノコ)を思わせる(実際，古い時代には菌類の一種とみなされていた)。蒴柄（さくへい）は太く，長さ5～10mm，蒴は広卵形で明瞭な背腹性を示す。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Kieselite - Kieselite (English spelling)

>>: Door snail (Kiselgai)