MOSSES 



in dense cushions you may make up your mind that 

 you have some kind of a hypnum. Examine it closely 

 with a magnifying glass. If it is quite large and has 

 bright-red stems showing through the leaves, it is a 



Schreber's Hyp- 

 num. This is a 

 beautiful moss 

 which grows in 

 abundance in pas- 

 tures and open 

 woods. We have 

 seen almost the 

 entire surface of 

 decaying logs 

 covered with its 

 dense green cush- 

 ions. If you gath- 

 er some of this, it 

 will keep for a 

 long time. JWhen 

 placed in water 

 the fresh, green look will return, and the red of the 

 stems will be quite bright again. 



The stems of this moss are often from four to six 

 inches long and nearly erect. They crowd very close 

 together. The capsules ripen in the fall. One would 

 think that such large plants would have many capsules, 

 but they do not. 



106 



Schreber's Hypnum. 



