HYPNUM MOSSES 



A hypnum that is easily recognized is the plume 

 moss. Doesn't it look like a feather? This is common 

 on decayed wood and stumps, in 

 cool, moist woods in New Eng- 

 land and New York. It is most 

 beautiful in the mountain forest, 

 where it covers the decaying 

 trunks of fallen trees with its deli- 

 cate, light-green plumes. 



The pinnate hypnum is com- 

 mon in lowlands. It grows al- 

 most entirely on rotten wood, in 

 moist, shady places. It is a 

 darker green than the plume moss 

 and lies flat upon the logs in close, 

 dense mats. The branching does 

 not extend to the tips, as in the plume moss. Notice 

 this in the pictures of the two mosses. It is one of the 



ways by which you can 

 know the pinnate hyp- 

 num. These plants have 

 many capsules. They 

 ripen in winter, but re- 

 main in good condition 

 for a long time. 



Another common hyp- 

 num is the shaggy moss.. It grows on shaded banks 

 that are neither very wet nor extremely dry . The name 



107 



Plume Moss. 



Pinnate Hypnum. 



