Flowerless-Plant Study 705 



The brown leaves on the lower part of the moss stem are dead, and 

 only the green leaves on the upper part are living. 

 And this is the story of the moss cycle : 



1. A plant with an ovule at its tip; another plant with a star-cup 

 holding the moss pollen which is sifted by wind over to the waiting egg. 



2 . The egg or ovule as soon as fertilized develops into a spore-capsule, 

 and is lifted up into the world on a beautiful shining stem and is pro- 

 tected by a silky cap. 



3 . The cap comes off ; the lid of the spore-case falls off, the spores are 

 shaken out and scattered by the wind. 



4. Those spores that find fitting places grow into a net of green 

 threads. 



5. These green threads send up moss stems which repeat the story. 



LESSON CLXXVIII 

 The Hair-Cap Moss 



Leading thought — The mosses, like the butterfly and the fern, have 

 several stages in their development. The butterfly stages are the egg, 

 the caterpillar, the chrysalis, the butterfly. The moss stages are the egg 

 (or ovule), the spores, the branching green threads, the moss plants with 

 their green foliage. In June we can easily find all these stages, except 

 perhaps the branching thread stage. 



Method — The children should bring to the schoolroom a basin of moss 

 in its fruiting stage; or still better, go with them to a knoll covered with 

 moss. Incidentally tell them that this moss, when dried, is used by the 

 Laplanders for stuffing their pillows, and that the bears use it for their 

 beds. Once, a long time ago, people believed that a plant, by the shape of 

 its leaf or flower, indicated its nature as a medicine, and as this moss 

 looked like hair, the water in which it was steeped was used as a hair 

 tonic. 



Observation — i . Take a moss stem with a grain of pigeon wheat at the 

 end. Examine the lower part of the stalk. How are the leaves arranged 

 on it? Examine one of the little leaves through a lens and describe its 

 shape, its edges, and the way it joins the stem. Are the lower leaves the 

 same color as the upper ones ? Why ? 



2. Describe the pretty shining stem of the fruit, which is called the 

 pedicel. Is it the same color for its entire length ? Can you pull it easily 

 from the main plant ? Describe how its base is embedded in the tip of the 

 plant. 



3. Note the silken cap on a grain of the pigeon wheat. This is called 

 the veil. Is it all the same color? Is it grown fast to the plant at its 

 lower margin? Take it by the tip, and pull it off. Is this done easily? 

 Describe what it covers. This elegant little green vase is called a spore- 

 capsule. How many sides has it? Describe its base which stands upon 

 the stem. Describe the little lid. Pull off the lid; is there another lid 

 below it? Can you see the tiny teeth around the edge which hold this 

 lid m place? Ask your teacher, or read in the books, the purpose of this. 



4. Do all the spore vases stand straight up, or do some bend over? 



5. Do you think the silken cap falls off of itself after a while? Can 

 you find any capsules where the cap or veil and the lid have fallen off ? 

 See if you can shake any dust out of such a spore vase. What do you 



