About Funaria hygrometrica Hedw.
Funaria hygrometrica, commonly called bonfire moss or common cord-moss, is a type of water moss. It typically grows on shady, moist soil, and can also be found on moist walls, rock crevices, and areas that have recently experienced fires. It has been recorded growing in Niagara Cave, an artificially illuminated cave with no natural light. When growing in these low-light conditions, it develops a modified growth form: its internodes lengthen, and its leaves become longer and narrower. The gametophyte plant body is green, soft, and upright, reaching approximately half an inch in height. The rhizoids of this species are multicellular, branched, and contain oblique septa. The upright main axis bears a set of spirally arranged, sessile leaves that have a clearly distinct midrib. The male reproductive organ, the antheridium, is borne at the apex of the main plant axis. The female reproductive organ, the archegonium, develops at the meristem of a female lateral branch that grows out from the main axis. Experimental testing has confirmed that F. hygrometrica is able to survive and grow in water consisting of 90% heavy water.
