68-446: See text. Polytrichaceae is a common family of mosses . Members of this family tend to be larger than other mosses, with the larger species occurring in particularly moist habitats. The leaves have specialized sheaths at the base and a midrib that bears photosynthetic lamellae on the upper surface. These mosses are capable of sustaining high rates of photosynthesis in the presence of ample light and moisture. Unlike all other mosses,
136-520: A stem that may be branched or unbranched and has only a limited role in conducting water and nutrients. Although some species have conducting tissues, these are generally poorly developed and structurally different from similar tissue found in vascular plants . Mosses do not have seeds and after fertilisation develop sporophytes with unbranched stalks topped with single capsules containing spores . They are typically 0.2–10 cm (0.1–3.9 in) tall, though some species are much larger. Dawsonia ,
204-407: A few years of exposure to wind and rain. Materials which are porous and moisture retentive, such as brick , wood , and certain coarse concrete mixtures, are hospitable to moss. Surfaces can also be prepared with acidic substances, including buttermilk , yogurt , urine , and gently puréed mixtures of moss samples, water and ericaceous compost . In the cool, humid, cloudy Pacific Northwest , moss
272-926: A garden weed in Vancouver and Seattle areas; Bryum argenteum , the cosmopolitan sidewalk moss, and Ceratodon purpureus , red roof moss, another cosmopolitan species. A few species are wholly aquatic, such as Fontinalis antipyretica , common water moss; and others such as Sphagnum inhabit bogs, marshes and very slow-moving waterways. Such aquatic or semi-aquatic mosses can greatly exceed the normal range of lengths seen in terrestrial mosses. Individual plants 20–30 cm (8–12 in) or more long are common in Sphagnum species for example. But even aquatic species of moss and other bryophytes needs their mature capsules to be exposed to air by seta elongation or seasonal lowering of water level to be able to reproduce. Wherever they occur, mosses require liquid water for at least part of
340-408: A haploid spore that germinates to produce a protonema ( pl. protonemata), which is either a mass of thread-like filaments or thalloid (flat and thallus-like). Massed moss protonemata typically look like a thin green felt, and may grow on damp soil, tree bark, rocks, concrete, or almost any other reasonably stable surface. This is a transitory stage in the life of a moss, but from the protonema grows
408-536: A member of the Polytrichidae is probably Dawsonia superba , a native to New Zealand and other parts of Australasia . The fossil record of moss is sparse, due to their soft-walled and fragile nature. Unambiguous moss fossils have been recovered from as early as the Permian of Antarctica and Russia, and a case has been made for Carboniferous mosses. It has further been claimed that tube-like fossils from
476-414: A partner that contains the same, or similar, genetic information. By contrast, mosses and other bryophytes have only a single set of chromosomes and so are haploid (i.e. each chromosome exists in a unique copy within the cell). There is a period in the moss life cycle when they do have a double set of paired chromosomes, but this happens only during the sporophyte stage. The moss life-cycle starts with
544-438: A scent-mediated relationship analogous to the plant-pollinator relationship found in many seed plants. The stinkmoss species Splachnum sphaericum develops insect pollination further by attracting flies to its sporangia with a strong smell of carrion, and providing a strong visual cue in the form of red-coloured swollen collars beneath each spore capsule. Flies attracted to the moss carry its spores to fresh herbivore dung, which
612-412: A similar purpose. Mosses can be either dioicous (compare dioecious in seed plants) or monoicous (compare monoecious ). In dioicous mosses, male and female sex organs are borne on different gametophyte plants. In monoicous (also called autoicous) mosses, both are borne on the same plant. In the presence of water, sperm from the antheridia swim to the archegonia and fertilisation occurs, leading to
680-455: A stopper mechanism, which consists of the apical section of the columella , that seals the mouth of the capsule shut prior to dehiscence . Takakiopsida Sphagnopsida Andreaeopsida Andreaeobryopsida Oedipodiopsida Tetraphidopsida Polytrichaceae Bryopsida This moss -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in
748-425: A well-organised prethallus stage even after three months of co-cultivation. This may be due to specific environmental requirements or growth conditions needed for complete thallus formation in this species. These studies provide insights into the recognition mechanisms and early developmental processes involved in lichen formation. The observations support the concept of controlled parasitism in lichen symbiosis, where
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#1732783509378816-689: Is a source of vitamin D . This lichen can be used in the making of aquavit , and is sometimes used as decoration in glass windows. The lichen is used as a traditional remedy for removal of kidney stones by the Monpa in the alpine regions of the West Kameng district of Eastern Himalaya . The Inland Dena'ina used reindeer lichen for food by crushing the dry lichen and then boiling it or soaking it in hot water until it becomes soft. They eat it plain or, preferably, mixed with berries, fish eggs, or lard. The Inland Dena'ina also boil reindeer lichen and drink
884-435: Is deliberately encouraged to grow under aesthetic principles exemplified by Japanese gardening . In old temple gardens, moss can carpet a forest scene. Moss is thought to add a sense of calm, age, and stillness to a garden scene. Moss is also used in bonsai to cover the soil and enhance the impression of age. Rules of cultivation are not widely established. Moss collections are quite often begun using samples transplanted from
952-448: Is disrupted by fungal chitin . Galotto et al. , 2020 applied chitooctaose and found that tips detected and responded to this chitin derivative by changing gene expression . They concluded that this defense response was probably conserved from the most recent common ancestor of bryophytes and tracheophytes . Orr et al. , 2020 found that the microtubules of growing tip cells were structurally similar to F-actin and served
1020-430: Is extremely cold-hardy. Other common names include reindeer moss , deer moss , and caribou moss , but these names can be misleading since it is, though somewhat moss-like in appearance, not a moss . As the common names suggest, reindeer lichen is an important food for reindeer (caribou), and has economic importance as a result. Synonyms include Cladina rangiferina and Lichen rangiferinus . Cladonia rangiferina
1088-545: Is famous for its moss garden. The moss garden was created by removing shrubby underbrush and herbaceous groundcovers, thinning trees, and allowing mosses to fill in naturally. Mosses are sometimes used in green roofs . Advantages of mosses over higher plants in green roofs include reduced weight loads, increased water absorption, no fertilizer requirements, and high drought tolerance. Since mosses do not have true roots, they require less planting medium than higher plants with extensive root systems. With proper species selection for
1156-402: Is greyish, whitish or brownish grey. C. rangiferina forms extensive mats up to 10 centimetres (4 in) tall. The branching is at a smaller angle than that of Cladonia portentosa . It lacks a well-defined cortex (a protective layer covering the thallus , analogous to the epidermis in plants), but rather, a loose layer of hyphae cover the photobionts. The photobiont associated with
1224-571: Is named after C. rangiferina , Lichenoconium pyxidatae and Lichenopeltella uncialicola In certain parts of its range, this lichen is an endangered species . For example, in the British Duchy of Cornwall it is protected under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan . The reindeer lichen is edible, but crunchy. It can be soaked with wood ashes to remove its bitterness, then added to milk or other dishes. It
1292-643: Is no significant reduction in algal cell diameter in compatible interactions, unlike in some incompatible pairings. These experiments highlight the specificity of the Cladonia rangiferina – Asterochloris glomerata / irregularis symbiosis. When paired with incompatible algae such as Coccomyxa peltigerae or Chloroidium ellipsoideum , C. rangiferina shows reduced growth and fewer symbiosis-specific morphological changes. The resynthesis process in C. rangiferina appears to be slower compared to some other lichen species. Researchers have not observed
1360-446: Is positively associated with the presence of dwarf males in several phyllodioicous species. Dwarf males occur in several unrelated lineages and may be more common than previously thought. For example, it is estimated that between one quarter and half of all dioicous pleurocarps have dwarf males. The moss Physcomitrium patens has been used as a model organism to study how plants repair damage to their DNA, especially
1428-464: Is represented is the boreal forests of Canada . In a Finnish study of the growth rate of Cladonia rangiferina , it was found that the lichen grows from 3.9 to 4.4 mm per year, achieving the fastest growth rate in younger (less than 60 years), shadowy forests, and the slowest growth in an older (more than 180 years), thinned forest. Cladonia rangiferina is a known host to the lichenicolous fungus species Lichenopeltella rangiferinae , which
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#17327835093781496-504: Is sometimes allowed to grow naturally as a moss lawn , one that needs little or no mowing, fertilizing or watering. In this case, grass is considered to be the weed. Landscapers in the Seattle area sometimes collect boulders and downed logs growing mosses for installation in gardens and landscapes. Woodland gardens in many parts of the world can include a carpet of natural mosses. The Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, Washington State,
1564-534: Is the dominant phase of the life cycle . This contrasts with the pattern in all vascular plants ( seed plants and pteridophytes ), where the diploid sporophyte generation is dominant. Mosses reproduce using spores , not seeds , and have no flowers. Moss gametophytes have stems which may be simple or branched and upright (acrocarp) or prostrate (pleurocarp). The early divergent classes Takakiopsida, Sphagnopsida, Andreaeopsida and Andreaeobryopsida either lack stomata or have pseudostomata that do not form pores. In
1632-545: Is the favoured habitat of the species of this genus. In many mosses, e.g., Ulota phyllantha , green vegetative structures called gemmae are produced on leaves or branches, which can break off and form new plants without the need to go through the cycle of fertilization. This is a means of asexual reproduction , and the genetically identical units can lead to the formation of clonal populations. Moss dwarf males (also known as nannandry or phyllodioicy ) originate from wind-dispersed male spores that settle and germinate on
1700-558: The Silurian are the macerated remains of moss calyptræ . Mosses also appear to evolve 2–3 times slower than ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms . Recent research shows that ancient moss could explain why the Ordovician ice ages occurred. When the ancestors of today's moss started to spread on land 470 million years ago, they absorbed CO 2 from the atmosphere and extracted minerals by secreting organic acids that dissolved
1768-475: The Southern Hemisphere . Some naturalists feel that mosses grow on the damper side of trees and rocks. In some cases, such as sunny climates in temperate northern latitudes, this will be the shaded north side of the tree or rock. On steep slopes, it may be the uphill side. For mosses that grow on tree branches, this is generally the upper side of the branch on horizontally growing sections or near
1836-408: The gametophore ("gamete-bearer") that is structurally differentiated into stems and leaves. A single mat of protonemata may develop several gametophore shoots, resulting in a clump of moss. From the tips of the gametophore stems or branches develop the sex organs of the mosses. The female organs are known as archegonia ( sing. archegonium ) and are protected by a group of modified leaves known as
1904-448: The hydroid -based vascular system of these mosses is continuous from stem to leaf and can extract water from the soil through transpiration . Species in this group are dioicous , though some are monoicous . In most species, the sporophytes are relatively large, the setae are rigid, and the calyptrae are hairy. Most species have nematodontous peristomes with 32–64 teeth in their sporangium ; some early-diverging genera instead have
1972-410: The polysporangiophytes , which include all vascular plants. The spore-producing sporophytes (i.e. the diploid multicellular generation) are short-lived and usually capable of photosynthesis, but are dependent on the gametophyte for water supply and most or all of its nutrients. Also, in the majority of mosses, the spore-bearing capsule enlarges and matures after its stalk elongates, while in liverworts
2040-529: The abietane diterpenoids hanagokenols A and B, obtuanhydride , sugiol , 5,6-dehydrosugiol, montbretol , cis -communic acid, imbricatolic acid , 15-acetylimbricatoloic acid, junicedric acid , 7α-hydroxysandaracopimaric acid, β-resorylic acid, atronol , barbatic acid , homosekikaic acid , didymic acid and condidymic acid . Some of these compounds have mild inhibitory activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci . Exposure to UV-B radiation induces
2108-423: The accumulation of usnic acid and melanic compounds. Usnic acid is thought to play a role in protecting the photosymbiont by absorbing excess UV-B. Resynthesis experiments have been conducted to study the early stages of lichen formation in Cladonia rangiferina . These experiments involve isolating and culturing the fungal and algal partners separately, then reuniting them under laboratory conditions to observe
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2176-502: The atmosphere. Small organisms feeding on the nutrients created large areas without oxygen, which caused a mass extinction of marine species, while the levels of CO 2 dropped all over the world, allowing the formation of ice caps on the poles. Moss gametophytes are autotrophic and require sunlight to perform photosynthesis . Shade tolerance varies by species, just as it does with higher plants. In most areas, mosses grow chiefly in moist, shaded areas, such as wooded areas and at
2244-430: The capsule enlarges and matures before its stalk elongates. Other differences are not universal for all mosses and all liverworts, but the presence of a clearly differentiated stem with simple-shaped, non-vascular leaves that are not arranged in three ranks, all point to the plant being a moss. Vascular plants have two sets of chromosomes in their vegetative cells and are said to be diploid , i.e. each chromosome has
2312-407: The capsule is mature. Within the capsule, spore-producing cells undergo meiosis to form haploid spores, upon which the cycle can start again. The mouth of the capsule is usually ringed by a set of teeth called peristome. This may be absent in some mosses. Most mosses rely on the wind to disperse the spores. In the genus Sphagnum the spores are projected about 10–20 cm (4–8 in) off
2380-449: The classes Bryopsida, Marchantiopsida, and Anthocerotopsida, respectively. The mosses and liverworts are now considered to belong to a clade called Setaphyta . The mosses, (Bryophyta sensu stricto), are divided into eight classes: vascular plants hornworts liverworts Takakiopsida Sphagnopsida Andreaeopsida Andreaeobryopsida Oedipodiopsida Polytrichopsida Tetraphidopsida Bryopsida Six of
2448-447: The contact stage is reached. This stage is characterised by rich branching of fungal hyphae with short internodes. Hyphal tips grow towards algal cells, and some form swollen tips called appressoria upon contact. Hyphae can be observed growing around single algal cells or clusters, and mucilage is frequently present. The growth together stage is typically observed around 21 days post co-inoculation. At this point, coordinated growth between
2516-539: The crotch. In cool, humid, cloudy climates, all sides of tree trunks and rocks may be equally moist enough for moss growth. Each species of moss requires certain amounts of moisture and sunlight and thus will grow on certain sections of the same tree or rock. Some mosses grow underwater, or completely waterlogged. Many prefer well-drained locations. There are mosses that preferentially grow on rocks and tree trunks of various chemistries. In boreal forests , some species of moss play an important role in providing nitrogen for
2584-405: The ecosystem due to their relationship with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria . Cyanobacteria colonize moss and receive shelter in return for providing fixed nitrogen. Moss releases the fixed nitrogen, along with other nutrients, into the soil "upon disturbances like drying-rewetting and fire events", making it available throughout the ecosystem. Moss is often considered a weed in grass lawns, but
2652-585: The edges of streams, but they can grow anywhere in cool, humid, cloudy climates, and some species are adapted to sunny, seasonally dry areas like alpine rocks or stabilized sand dunes. Choice of substrate varies by species as well. Moss species can be classed as growing on: rocks, exposed mineral soil, disturbed soils, acid soil, calcareous soil, cliff seeps and waterfall spray areas, streamsides, shaded humusy soil, downed logs, burnt stumps, tree trunk bases, upper tree trunks, and tree branches or in bogs . Moss species growing on or under trees are often specific about
2720-613: The eight classes contain only one or two genera each. Polytrichopsida includes 23 genera, and Bryopsida includes the majority of moss diversity with over 95% of moss species belonging to this class. The Sphagnopsida, the peat-mosses, comprise the two living genera Ambuchanania and Sphagnum , as well as fossil taxa. Sphagnum is a diverse, widespread, and economically important one. These large mosses form extensive acidic bogs in peat swamps. The leaves of Sphagnum have large dead cells alternating with living photosynthetic cells. The dead cells help to store water. Aside from this character,
2788-420: The exception of the ancient group Takakiopsida , no known mosses form mycorrhiza , but bryophilous fungi is widespread in moss and other bryophytes, where they live as saprotrophs, parasites, pathogens and mutualists, some of them endophytes . Mosses differ from vascular plants in lacking water-bearing xylem tracheids or vessels . As in liverworts and hornworts , the haploid gametophyte generation
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2856-472: The female shoot where their growth is restricted to a few millimeters. In some species, dwarfness is genetically determined, in that all male spores become dwarf. More often, it is environmentally determined in that male spores that land on a female become dwarf, while those that land elsewhere develop into large, female-sized males. In the latter case, dwarf males that are transplanted from females to another substrate develop into large shoots, suggesting that
2924-468: The females emit a substance which inhibits the growth of germinating males and possibly also quickens their onset of sexual maturation. The nature of such a substance is unknown, but the phytohormone auxin may be involved Having the males growing as dwarfs on the female is expected to increase the fertilization efficiency by minimizing the distance between male and female reproductive organs. Accordingly, it has been observed that fertilization frequency
2992-443: The fertilization distance. After fertilisation, the immature sporophyte pushes its way out of the archegonial venter. It takes several months for the sporophyte to mature. The sporophyte body comprises a long stalk, called a seta, and a capsule capped by a cap called the operculum . The capsule and operculum are in turn sheathed by a haploid calyptra which is the remains of the archegonial venter. The calyptra usually falls off when
3060-401: The fins on a heat sink. These carry out photosynthesis and may help to conserve moisture by partially enclosing the gas exchange surfaces. The Polytrichopsida differ from other mosses in other details of their development and anatomy too, and can also become larger than most other mosses, with e.g., Polytrichum commune forming cushions up to 40 cm (16 in) high. The tallest land moss,
3128-436: The fungal partner exhibits parasitic behavior, but in a controlled manner that allows for mutual benefit in the long term. Cladonia rangiferina often dominates the ground in boreal pine forests and open, low-alpine sites in a wide range of habitats, from humid, open forests, rocks and heaths . It grows on humus , or on soil over rock. It is mainly found in the taiga and the tundra . A specific biome in which this lichen
3196-496: The fungus and alga becomes evident. Algal cells are integrated within a hyphal matrix, with hyphae emerging through algal colonies and forming networks within and between them. Quantitative measurements during these stages reveal several patterns. In compatible interactions, researchers observe significantly shorter hyphal internode lengths and more lateral branches compared to incompatible ones. The frequency of appressoria formation increases over time in compatible interactions. There
3264-636: The genus Sphagnum ), although they are also used for decorative purposes, such as in gardens and in the florist trade. Traditional uses of mosses included as insulation and for the ability to absorb liquids up to 20 times their weight. Moss is a keystone genus and benefits habitat restoration and reforestation . Botanically, mosses are non-vascular plants in the land plant division Bryophyta. They are usually small (a few centimeters tall) herbaceous (non-woody) plants that absorb water and nutrients mainly through their leaves and harvest carbon dioxide and sunlight to create food by photosynthesis . With
3332-614: The ground by compressed air contained in the capsules; the spores are accelerated to about 36,000 times the earth's gravitational acceleration g . It has recently been found that microarthropods, such as springtails and mites , can effect moss fertilization and that this process is mediated by moss-emitted scents. Male and female fire moss , for example emit different and complex volatile organic scents. Female plants emit more compounds than male plants. Springtails were found to choose female plants preferentially, and one study found that springtails enhance moss fertilization, suggesting
3400-664: The leaf can be smooth or it may have teeth. There may be a distinct type of cell defining the edge of the leaf, distinct in shape and/or colour from the other leaf cells. Moss has threadlike rhizoids that anchor them to their substrate, comparable to root hairs rather than the more substantial root structures of spermatophytes . Mosses do not absorb water or nutrients from their substrate through their rhizoids. They can be distinguished from liverworts ( Marchantiophyta or Hepaticae) by their multi-cellular rhizoids. Spore-bearing capsules or sporangia of mosses are borne singly on long, unbranched stems, thereby distinguishing them from
3468-506: The local climate, mosses in green roofs require no irrigation once established and are low maintenance. Mosses are also used on green walls . Reindeer moss Cladonia rangiferina , also known as reindeer cup lichen , reindeer lichen (cf. Sw. renlav ) or grey reindeer lichen , is a light-coloured fruticose , cup lichen species in the family Cladoniaceae . It grows in both hot and cold climates in well-drained, open environments. Found primarily in areas of alpine tundra , it
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#17327835093783536-426: The pattern in all vascular plants ( seed plants and pteridophytes ), where the diploid sporophyte generation is dominant. Lichens may superficially resemble mosses, and sometimes have common names that include the word "moss" (e.g., " reindeer moss " or " Iceland moss "), but they are fungal symbioses and not related to mosses. The main commercial significance of mosses is as the main constituent of peat (mostly
3604-480: The perichaetum (plural, perichaeta). The archegonia are small flask-shaped clumps of cells with an open neck (venter) down which the male sperm swim. The male organs are known as antheridia ( sing. antheridium ) and are enclosed by modified leaves called the perigonium ( pl. perigonia). The surrounding leaves in some mosses form a splash cup, allowing the sperm contained in the cup to be splashed to neighboring stalks by falling water droplets. Gametophore tip growth
3672-538: The principal sensor of DNA double-strand breaks) showed that these genes are necessary for repair of DNA damage as well as for normal growth and development. More recently, mosses have been grouped with the liverworts and hornworts in the division Bryophyta ( bryophytes , or Bryophyta sensu lato ). The bryophyte division itself contains three (former) divisions: Bryophyta (mosses), Marchantiophyta (liverworts) and Anthocerotophyta (hornworts); it has been proposed that these latter divisions are de-ranked to
3740-403: The process of lichenization. Through these studies, researchers have identified several key stages in the early development of the lichen thallus. The first stage, known as the pre-contact stage, occurs around one day post co-inoculation. During this stage, no apparent fungal or algal growth is observed, and hyphal tips are not growing towards algal cells. By the eighth day post co-inoculation,
3808-464: The production of a diploid sporophyte. The sperm of mosses is biflagellate, i.e. they have two flagellae that aid in propulsion. Since the sperm must swim to the archegonium, fertilisation cannot occur without water. Some species (for example Mnium hornum or several species of Polytrichum ) keep their antheridia in so called 'splash cups', bowl-like structures on the shoot tips that propel the sperm several decimeters when water droplets hit it, increasing
3876-526: The reindeer lichen is Trebouxia irregularis . Reindeer lichen, like many lichens, is slow growing ( 3–11 millimetres or 1 ⁄ 8 – 3 ⁄ 8 inch per year) and may take decades to return once overgrazed, burned, trampled, or otherwise damaged. A similar-looking but distinct species, also known by the common name "reindeer lichen", is Cladonia portentosa . A variety of bioactive compounds have been isolated and identified from C. rangiferina , including abietane , labdane , isopimarane ,
3944-418: The remaining classes, stomata have been lost more than 60 times. Their leaves are simple, usually only a single layer of cells with no internal air spaces, often with thicker midribs (nerves). The nerve can run beyond the edge of the leaf tip, termed excurrent. The tip of the leaf blade can be extended as a hair point, made of colourless cells. These appear white against the dark green of the leaves. The edge of
4012-570: The repair mechanism functions in plants. For example, a study of P. patens mutants defective in Rp RAD51, a gene that encodes a protein at the core of the recombinational repair reaction, indicated that homologous recombination is essential for repairing DNA double-strand breaks in this plant. Similarly, studies of mutants defective in Ppmre11 or Pprad50 (that encode key proteins of the MRN complex ,
4080-568: The repair mechanism known as homologous recombination . If the plant cannot repair DNA damage, e.g., double-strand breaks , in their somatic cells , the cells can lose normal functions or die. If this occurs during meiosis (part of sexual reproduction), they could become infertile. The genome of P. patens has been sequenced, which has allowed several genes involved in DNA repair to be identified. P. patens mutants that are defective in key steps of homologous recombination have been used to work out how
4148-442: The rocks they were growing on. These chemically altered rocks in turn reacted with the atmospheric CO 2 and formed new carbonate rocks in the ocean through the weathering of calcium and magnesium ions from silicate rocks. The weathered rocks also released significant amounts of phosphorus and iron which ended up in the oceans, where it caused massive algal blooms, resulting in organic carbon burial, extracting more carbon dioxide from
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#17327835093784216-473: The species of trees they grow on, such as preferring conifers over broadleaf trees , oaks over alders , or vice versa. While mosses often grow on trees as epiphytes , they are never parasitic on the tree. Mosses are also found in cracks between paving stones in damp city streets, and on roofs. Some species adapted to disturbed, sunny areas are well adapted to urban conditions and are commonly found in cities. Examples would be Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus ,
4284-433: The tallest moss in the world, can grow to 50 cm (20 in) in height. There are approximately 12,000 species. Mosses are commonly confused with liverworts, hornworts and lichens . Although often described as non-vascular plants , many mosses have advanced vascular systems. Like liverworts and hornworts, the haploid gametophyte generation of mosses is the dominant phase of the life cycle . This contrasts with
4352-486: The taxonomic division Bryophyta ( / b r aɪ ˈ ɒ f ə t ə / , / ˌ b r aɪ . ə ˈ f aɪ t ə / ) sensu stricto . Bryophyta ( sensu lato , Schimp . 1879 ) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes , which comprise liverworts , mosses, and hornworts . Mosses typically form dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations. The individual plants are usually composed of simple leaves that are generally only one cell thick, attached to
4420-496: The unique branching, thallose (flat and expanded) protonema, and explosively rupturing sporangium place it apart from other mosses. Andreaeopsida and Andreaeobryopsida are distinguished by the biseriate (two rows of cells) rhizoids, multiseriate (many rows of cells) protonema, and sporangium that splits along longitudinal lines. Most mosses have capsules that open at the top. Polytrichopsida have leaves with sets of parallel lamellae, flaps of chloroplast-containing cells that look like
4488-458: The wild in a water-retaining bag. Some species of moss can be extremely difficult to maintain away from their natural sites with their unique requirements of combinations of light, humidity, substrate chemistry, shelter from wind, etc. Growing moss from spores is even less controlled. Moss spores fall in a constant rain on exposed surfaces; those surfaces which are hospitable to a certain species of moss will typically be colonised by that moss within
4556-513: The year to complete fertilisation. Many mosses can survive desiccation , sometimes for months, returning to life within a few hours of rehydration. It is generally believed that in the Northern Hemisphere , the north side of trees and rocks will generally have more luxuriant moss growth on average than other sides. The reason is assumed to be because sunshine on the south side causes a dry environment. The reverse would be true in
4624-509: Was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 Species Plantarum ; as was the custom at the time, he classified it in the eponymous genus, as Lichen rangiferinus . Friedrich Heinrich Wiggers transferred it to the genus Cladonia in 1780. Thalli are fruticose, and extensively branched, with each branch usually dividing into three or four (sometimes two); the thicker branches are typically 1–1.5 millimetres ( 1 ⁄ 32 – 1 ⁄ 16 inch) in diameter. The colour
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