CHAPTER XXVIII 
THE LIFE STORY OF THE MOSS 
Mossy banks and trees. ‘Those who live near the 
woods, or who have a chance to go to the woods or 
mountains in summer, delight in finding a carpet of 
moss on the ground or on some shady bank. The 

FIG. 258. Moss-covered trunk. 
slender, short stems covered 
with delicate leaves make a 
velvety cushion of green. We 
know that these timmy plants 
love the cool shade, for, except 
in the cold arctic or alpine 
regions, we find them grow- 
ing freely only in or near the 
woods. ‘The tree trunks, too, 
in moist, cool, shady places 
are often covered with moss. 
There are sometimes tiny tufts 
and mats on the ground in 
open fields, by roadsides and streets, even in cities, and 
in the cracks of old stone walls. But the mosses do 
not attract us much in these places because they are so 
scattered and small. 
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