MOSSES 



mosses which we see growing in a bog now are the tips of 

 plants which began life perhaps thousands of years ago. 

 These have formed great beds of peat which may be 



from fifteen to twenty 

 feet thick. 



The peat mosses are 

 among our largest moss 

 plants. They are usually 

 pale green, but may be 

 a dirty white, a dark 

 red, a pale pink, or a 

 yellow. Those seen in 

 the picture were found 

 among the White Moun- 

 tains in New Hampshire, 

 where there was an 

 abundance of red plants. 

 Both leaves and stems 

 suck up the water like a 

 sponge, so that the whole 

 mass is full of moisture. 



There is little or no 

 / 



root. On the young 



plants only are root hairs found. The plants seem to 

 float in an upright position, unattached. As they grow 

 closely packed together they help each other to stand 

 erect. There are many branches. The shorter ones at 

 the top are often much crowded. 



100 



Peat Moss. 



