Bryoerythrophyllum caledonicum, commonly known as Scottish Beard-moss, is a moss

Moss

Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...

 endemic to Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. Recognised as a distinct species in 1982, it had been collected occasionally from 1891 onwards under other names. The largest populations are in the Breadalbane mountains including Ben Lawers

Ben Lawers

Ben Lawers is one of the highest mountains in the southern part of the Scottish Highlands. It lies to the north side of Loch Tay, and is the highest point of a long ridge that includes seven Munros. Ben Lawers was long thought to be over 4,000 ft in height; accurate measurement in the 1870s...

 with smaller populations in mainland Lochaber

Lochaber

District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...

 and on the islands of Skye

Skye

Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...

 and Rùm

Rùm

Rùm , a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland...

. It has a very restricted habitat, growing only on damp montane schist or basalt ledges. The species has been provisionally classified as Low Risk (Near threatened) and receives protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom and was implemented to comply with the Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds...

.

See also

• Other endemic Scottish species:
  • Pohlia scotica
    Pohlia scotica
    Pohlia scotica, commonly known as Scottish Thread-moss, is a moss endemic to Scotland. The earliest records date to 1964 and this moss was recognised as a distinct species in 1982. The largest populations are in Argyll with smaller populations in Dunbartonshire and Easter Ross. Its favoured habitat...
    
    
  • Bryum dixonii
    Bryum dixonii
    Bryum dixonii, commonly known as Dixon's Thread-moss, is a moss endemic to Scotland. The species occupies montane habitats, and although rare it has a wide distribution including the central and north-west Highlands, and the islands of Skye, Rùm and St Kilda. Originally discovered on Ben Narnain,...
    
    
• Didymodon mamillosus
  Didymodon mamillosus
  Didymodon mamillosus, commonly known as Perthshire Beard-moss is a species of moss endemic to Europe. It occurs at only five sites including one in Scotland where it isclassified as "Critically Endangered"...
  
  
• Flora of Scotland
  Flora of Scotland
  The flora of Scotland is an assemblage of native plant species including over 1,600 vascular plants, more than 1,500 lichens and nearly 1,000 bryophytes. The total number of vascular species is low by world standard but lichens and bryophytes are abundant and the latter form a population of global...