Saturday, September 27, 2014

A niche for mosses

Two years ago, I learned about bryophytes at the Texas Master Naturalists state conference. Instructor Dale Kruse, the curator of the Tracy Herbarium at Texas A&M University, is passionate about mosses, liverworts and hornworts. I enjoyed his class very much.

At home in our back yard, I found a nice crop of moss, probably some species of Bryum, and got on my knees to get a closer look. Cool! Then earlier this year, I dug up a few patches and transferred the clumps to their own designated (safe) area. Two days ago, I officially named the little garden! Every time it rains, the mosses revive and green up. Amazing!

3 comments:

debra said...

That is amazing. I have seen lichen but I didn't know mosses could live here. Now I will have to look around more carefully.

sandy lawrence said...

Thank you for this information. I am absolutely nuts about mosses and ferns and buy a pot of Irish moss each year which sadly dies in summer. I had no idea there were native mosses here in TX Hill Country, but I will see if I can discover some, as you did. (Why I live here and not the Pacific NW, I haven't a clue!)

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

Get out your magnifying glass, hunker down on ground level, and REALLY look at mosses. You'll be AMAZED!

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