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Windswept Moss
Dicranum scoparium

A lovely looking moss, with a lovely sounding name.

Alternate Name: Windblown Moss
Size: 2-10 cm tall
Family: Dicranaceae (Broom Moss Family)
Habitat: "Partial sun to medium shade, wet to dry-mesic conditions, and an acidic ground soil containing humus. This moss will also grow on acidic rocks if there is a thin layer of soil or other organic material across their surfaces.
Identification: "forms loose to dense tufts of plants about ¾–4" (2-10 cm.) tall; its growth habit is acrocarpous. The foliage is yellowish green to dark green above, becoming brown and withered below. The erect to ascending stems are covered with very fine rhizoids with a fuzzy appearance; these rhizoids are usually brown, but less often they are white. The leaves are about 4-9 mm. long and 1–1.5 mm. across, occurring all around each stem; they are densely distributed, overlapping, and ascending. " From illinoiswildflowers.com
All text and photos copyright © 2022 Middle Way Nature Reserve, unless noted.
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