SIDE-FRUITING MOSSES 



"5 

 The leaf has no 



smooth not hairy as in the Polytrichums. 

 sheath base. 



In the second set of mosses, the Side-Fruiting Mosses, the 

 stem, which is usually much branched, bears the fruits on special 

 short branches. Hence the stems keep on growing after pro- 

 ducing the fruits, and may reach a great length. These mosses 

 are rarely erect, but 

 form loose straggling 

 patches, and the branch- 

 ing is usually feathery, 

 like that of a fern leaf. 

 The stems are fixed to 

 the soil here and there 

 by tufts of brown root- 

 ing threads. These 

 threads penetrate decay- 

 ing leaves and twigs 

 lying on the wood floor, 

 and help, along with the 

 threads of fungi, in the 

 work of breaking up the 

 dead vegetable matter 

 and its conversion into 

 leaf - mould. Besides 

 forming the greater part 

 of the soft mossy carpet 

 of woods, the side-fruit- 

 ing or feathery mosses 

 grow among grass in 

 damp fields and lawns, 

 while many occur on 

 tree trunks, walls, stones, and rocks, and a few in running streams. 



The Great Water -Moss (Fontinalis) is sharply separated 

 from all the other side-fruiting mosses. Its shoots are at- 

 tached to stones in streams, and may be several feet long 

 (Fig. 30). The dark -green leaves are in three rows, each 

 leaf sharply folded inwards along the middle line. When the 

 plant is submerged it rarely fruits, but in summer it is often 



FIG. 29. Wavy Hair Moss (Catherinea). 



