MOSSES 



In the streams above these falls the water is clear 

 and cool. Here grows the giant water moss. This 

 plant is fond of cool streams where the water flows 

 swiftly. It grows on stones and sticks which lie in the 

 bed of the brook, or on the roots of overhanging trees. 



Has it not beautiful shades of 

 coloring? It looks just like this 

 in the water. The plants are 

 large, the branches being some- 

 times a foot or more long. This 

 makes it very easy to see. . It has 

 thick three-cornered stems and 

 branches. These spread out in 

 the water and float along with the 

 current. This plant is called the 

 giant water moss because it is 

 the largest of them. 



There is one strange thing 

 about this moss. It is very diffi- 

 The Common Water Moss, cult to burn it, even when it is 



completely dry. Because of this 

 it is used in some parts of Europe for lining chim- 

 neys. It prevents the woodwork about the chimney 

 from taking fire. 



You see here another kind of water moss. This is 

 much more common than the first. It, too, has very 

 beautiful coloring, and a soft, silky look. Sometimes it 

 is called the delicate water moss. This moss grows in 



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