134 



NATURE STUDY MADE EASY 



III. SPORES 



IT. Compare club moss (of delicate 

 green) with bearded earth moss (white on II. COLOR 

 account of white hairs or leaflets). Bog 

 moss of Ireland is a grayish green. Color 

 varies from gray green to reddish green. 

 Encourage children to collect and com- 

 pare mosses. Over 3000 species are 

 known. 



III. Bring in a mat of moss in fruit. 

 Note little stalks rising from leafy 



stem. 



Provide each child with one. What 

 do they bear aloft ? 



Raise pointed hood. 



Observe capsule. Raise with pin. 



Notice tiny teeth on edge. Empty cap- 

 sule, and grains of dust will fall. These are 

 moss spores. Plant on damp ground and 

 watch for threadlike growth, like scum. 

 From this will arise a new moss plant. 



Draw attention to greenish scum chil- 

 dren have noticed on tree trunks. These IV. GROWTH 

 are young mosses. 



IV. Elicit from class places where 

 mosses grow. Why do they choose damp 

 soil? why barren rocks? (Little soil 

 needed simple nature of plants.) 



V. Draw from class what becomes of 

 dead moss. Compare with fallen leaves 

 in autumn. 



Show how mosses fertilize barren places. V. USES 

 Show how their tenacious roots hold to- 

 gether rocks and stones, and prevent 

 crumbling. Tell of the bog mosses of 

 Scotland and Ireland. Tell of Arctic 

 moss. Show how they absorb rain, and 

 prevent floods, and how they give off rain 

 and prevent drought. 



r Delicate green when 



j young. 



[Dark green when old. 



in capsule, 

 on summit of 



Contained 



raised 



stem. 

 When ripe, fall out as 



tiny grain. 



Feed on damp ground. 

 Produce tiny threadlike 



plant buds. 

 Buds grow into new moss 



stem. 



"On moist, damp ground. 

 On old tree trunks. 

 On roots of ferns. 

 In cracks in old walls. 



To make soil and in time 

 give rise to higher 

 forms of plant life. 



To bind together rocks 

 and stones and preserve 

 from frost. 



To soak in rain and pre- 

 vent floods. 



To protect roots of plants 

 and trees. 



To furnish food for rein- 

 deer. 



In some countries used 

 for fuel, e.g. peat and 

 bog moss. 



