50 



MOSSES WITH A HAND-LENS 



LEUCOBRYUM. « 



L. GLAUCUM (L.) Schimp., the White Moss. Any one 

 accustomed to walk in the woods must have noticed the grayish- 

 white tufts of the White Moss, looking like gigantic pincushions. 

 This moss does not fruit freely, but by searching in moist 

 woods the sporophyte can usually be found without a great deal 

 of trouble. It matures from September to June. 



The White Moss prefers moist or even swampy 

 woods, but is often found in drier situations. The 

 plants grow densely packed together, those in the center 

 continually elongating and new plants being added 

 around the edges of the tuft. The White Moss re- 

 sembles the Peat Mosses in color, and the cushion-like 

 tufts take up and retain water in the same sponge-like 

 way. 



Braithwaite states that this species often produces 

 on the upper leaves of the female plants, minute tufts 

 of ■■ radicular tomentum " with young plants which fall 

 fn W off and serve to reproduce the plant, which produces 

 spores rather infrequently. The amount of rainfall has 

 apparently some influence on the spore production of 

 this species, for I have noticed that it produces spores 

 with unusual abundance after an especially wet summer. 



