Bryophytes of Luxembourg
Discover the latest observations of rare or endangered moss species from Luxembourg. Unfortunately botany in Luxembourg suffers from a lack of botanists and even more critically from a lack of young bryologists. Only a handful of bryologists report their observations on iNaturalist or on data.mnhn.lu the data base of the National museum o natural history.
On this page we will try to keep an updated record of the most important discoveries since the passing of the outstanding bryologist Jean Werner in 2017
Frequency and Red List status according to Werner (2003, 2011)
Details on the distribution of species on mdata.mnhn.lu
2024 is definitely the year of the rare liverworts. In July, Ch. Wolff discovered a population of hornworts in a fallow field near Kehlen. The species were Anthoceros agrestis and Phaeoceros carolinianus, the latter a very rare taxon in Luxembourg. This occurrence was accompanied by several Riccia species.
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 6
Frequency: R
Red List: VU
End of June 2024 a small population of Sphagnum papillosum was discovered in the Nature Reserve of Finsterthal by JP Wolff. The green-orange heads of the plants were fairly visible on the crimson carpet formed by Sphagnum rubellum, another very rare species in Luxembourg
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 1
Frequency: -
Red List: -
Sphaerocarpos micheli was discovered in February 2024 by Florian Hans during a survey of the moss flora of the Péitruss Valley in Luxembourg City. It is the first record of this rare liverworth for Luxembourg.
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 1
Frequency: -
Red List: -
Sphaerocarpos europaeus (syn. Sphaerocarpos texanus Austin), a huge population of this very rare thallose Liverwort has been observed by Christiane Wolff in February 2024 on a stumble field near Kehlen.
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 2
Frequency: RR
Red List: EN
Hookeria lucens (Hedw.) Sm. Up to now the Shining Hookeria was only known from the Biirkbaach valley and Finsterthal Natural Reserve, but 3 new records from the northern region in the Upper Wark Valley and near the Upper Sûre Reservoir (JP Wolff) as well as a new observation from Grundhof-Saueruecht (Ch. Wolff) round up the picture
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 18
Frequency: RR
Red List: CR
Trichocolea tomentella (Ehrh.) Dumort. Up to 2019 this beautiful liverwort was, with one exception, only known to occur in the Mullerthal and the Mandelbaach reserve. Several new occurencies in the Upper Wark region (JP Wolff) as well as in Haupeschbaach and Saueruecht reserves (Ch. Wolff) complete the records.
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 40
Frequency: R
Red List: VU
Sphagnum russowii Warnst. was only known from 2 locations until 2023, when JP Wolff discovered a small population of approx.. 1 square meter in a Sphagnum rich fen in the Upper Wark valley.
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 5
Frequency: RR
Red List: VU
Sphagnum rubellum Wilson. Typically a species of open mires, it is very rare in Luxembourg. Only 7 stations have been confirmed by F. Hans up to now. The species is subject to cultivation and reintroduction measures in a joint project lead by Sicona and Atemo.
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 26
Frequency: R
Red List: VU
Riccia cavernosa Hoffm. Huge populations of this rare liverwort have been observed by F. Hans and JP Wolff on the muddy banks of the Upper Sûre reservoir growing together with other rare species as Riccia huebeneriana Lindenb. and Riccia subbifurca Warnst. Ex Croz.
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: R.c. 10, R.h. 9, R.s. 4
Frequency: R.c. R, R.h. RR, R.s. RR
Red List: R.c. NT, R.h. EN, R.s. VU
Physcomitrium sphaericum (C.F. Ludw.) Brid., a rare ephemeral species of the muddy banks of lakes and reservoirs was observed in impressive populations on the banks of the Upper Sûre lake (F. Hans & JP Wolff)
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 5
Frequency: R
Red List: VU
Sphagnum subnitens Russow & Warnst. Several new occurencies of this not so common species, often hiding between cushions of other Sphagnum taxa could be observed in the Ardennes region (F. Hans) and in the Upper Wark valley (JP Wolff). The latter one turns up to be a real Sphagnum hotspot
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 34
Frequency: AR
Red List: NT
Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw. A rare species of wet woodlands, growing on mineral soils. These criteria match the new location in Finsterthal reserve discovered by JP Wolff.
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 18
Frequency: R
Red List: VU
Dicranum viride (Sull. & Lesq.) Lindb. The range of FFH Annex II species was thought being restricted to the eastern and south eastern region of Luxembourg as confirmed by earlier monitoring surveys (F. Hans). A systematic research (JP Wolff) from 2020 to 2022 in the western region of the red sandstone, led to the discovery of approx. 240 occurencies in beechforests growing on heavy keuper soils. This confirms the European hotspot status of Luxembourg for this protected epiphyte.
In spite of the high number of occurencies, the species is threatened due to the increasing deterioration of the Fagus sylvatica forests as a consequence to climate change.
Total number of observations for Luxembourg: 1.236
Frequency: AR
Red List: NT