Indigenous, perennial plants are found in high, dry places along the margins of dry woods, mostly on poor sandy soil. The evergreen plant, with a slender stem, is of a reddish color and from 4–7 in. high. Stems are reddish with grey-green leaves with distinctive red-brown tips. Leaves are lanceolate and upright spreading when dry and moist and wide-spreading. Slender leaves are distributed all around and along the entire length of the stems and eventually, turn brown and break off as they ages. Leaves are widely spreading to ascending when moist and dry leaves are slightly incurved and strongly ascending to erect. Leaves are lanceolate and somewhat spreading, much darker green than the mosses in general. The leaf surface is bluish-green, grayish-green, or dark green and turns brownish red to brown at the leaf tips. The fruit is a four-sided oblong capsule. Taste and smell are slight. It is said that this moss is found growing on human skulls, thus the origination of Haircap moss
This moss is dioecious with male reproductive organs and female reproductive organs on separate plants at their apices. These reproductive organs are surrounded by shallow rosettes of modified leaves. Male reproductive organs are yellowish-orange to dark red and sperm are spread to neighboring plants. A sporophyte contains slender seta and spore-bearing capsule. Setae are 2-6 cm long, more or less erect, terete, and red to reddish-brown at maturity. Immature capsules are held erect and mature capsules are tilted at an angle and are held sideways. Immature capsule bodies are nearly terete and light green and mature capsule bodies are brown, four-angled except at their bases where they are ring-shaped and more narrow. The mouth of capsule bodies has flat circular plugs which fall to the ground and release tiny spores to the wind. Spores are globoid, 8-10 micrometers across and smooth.
Facts About Juniper Haircap
| Name | Juniper Haircap |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Polytrichum juniperinum |
| Common/English Name | Ground Moss, Robin’s Rye, Bear’s Moss, Juniper haircap, Juniper polytrichum moss |
| Name in Other Languages | Danish: Ene-jomfruhår; German: Wacholder-Widertonmoos; French: Polytric genevrin, Polytric genévrier, Polytric à feuilles de genévrier; Dutch: Zandhaarmos; Swedish: Enbjörnmossa, En-björnmossa, Enmossa; English: Juniper haircap moss |
| Plant Growth Habit | Evergreen and perennial |
| Stem | 1-10 cm tall |
| Leaf | Linear to linear-lanceolate, 4-8 mm long |
| Medicinal part | The whole plant |
| Fruit shape & size | Oblong, 4-sided |
Juniper Haircap Scientific Classification
Scientific Name: Polytrichum juniperinum
| Rank | Scientific Name & (Common Name) |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae (Plants) |
| Subkingdom | Viridiplantae (Green plants) |
| Infrakingdom | Streptophyta (Land plants) |
| Superdivision | Embryophyta |
| Division | Bryophyta (Hornworts, mosses, hépatiques, mousses, non-vascular land plants) |
| Class | Polytrichopsida |
| Subclass | Bryidae |
| Order | Polytrichales |
| Family | Polytrichaceae |
| Genus | Polytrichum Hedw. (Polytrichum moss) |
| Species | Polytrichum juniperinum Hedw. (Juniper polytrichum moss) |
| Synonyms |
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Leaves
Leaves are 4-8 mm long, wide-spreading when moist and upright spreading when dry. Edges are toothless; tip extends into short, toothed, and reddish bristle points.
Sporophytes
Sporophytes are common. Stalk is upright, wiry, reddish about 2-6 cm long. A capsule is reddish-brown, four-sided, vertical, 2.5-5 mm long and becomes horizontal with age, and is puckered at the base. It has short and blunt teeth around the capsule mouth. Capsule hood long with hairs and covers entire capsule.
Uses
As a remedial agent this plant has been unnoticed but is nevertheless valuable. Professor King, of Cincinnati, says: “A strong infusion of this plant taken in doses of four tablespoonfuls every ½ hour, has removed from dropsical patients from 20 to 40 pounds of water in the space of twenty-four hours.”
Very useful in urinary obstruction and suppression, fevers and inflammations. Can be used for the most sensitive conditions, as the acceptability is met without stomach rebellion. Can be used with other hydragogue cathartics with decided advantage.
Dose
1 teaspoonful to 1 cup of boiling water. Drink 1–2 cupfuls a day, a few swallows at a time. Of the tincture, ½–1 fl. dram.
Medicinal uses
- The whole plant is diuretic.
- An infusion is effective for dropsy especially when used with hydrogogue cathartics.
- It is used for treating urinary obstructions, gravel.
- Use it in form of herb tea to treat kidney stones.
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