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A patch of goblin's gold, a luminous green moss, growing on a stone wall and glowing in the near darkness

Goblin's gold © Tom Hibbert

A patch of goblin's gold, a luminous green moss, growing on a cobweb covered stone wall

Goblin's gold © Tom Hibbert

Goblin's gold

Scientific name: Schistostega pennata
This dazzling moss grows in dark places, catching any faint light to glow a golden-green.

Species information

Statistics

Shoots grow up to 1.5 cm long

Conservation status

Globally classed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List

When to see

All year

About

Goblin's gold is a luminous moss that grows in dark places. It can be found in rocky crevices, cave entrances, old stone ruins and even rabbit burrows. It has lens-like cells, which concentrate any light that hits them onto the chloroplasts. This means that the moss can photosynthesise even in very dim light. This allows goblin's gold to thrive in areas that are too dark for other plants to survive.

As a side effect, some light is reflected, causing the moss to give off a shining golden-green glow. Goblin's gold can grow into large colonies, covering cave walls and floors. This shimmering display has given rise to the evocative nickname of goblin's gold, or sometimes dragon's gold.

How to identify

The golden-green glow of this moss makes it instantly recognisable when found in dimly lit places. It develops shoots that resemble tiny palm fronds.

Distribution

Predominantly found in the west of Britain, especially southwest England.

Habitats

Did you know?

Goblin's gold is the only member of its family, Schistostegaceae. It is found in Europe, across Siberia to China and Japan, and in North America.