Cushion Moss

This is a report all about.... cushion moss!

First of all, what does cushion moss look like? Well, cushion moss grows in small dome-like, rising clumps. These usually form on stones or wood (usually dead), as most types of mosses. And, like all moss, it depends on water for food.

All mosses, because they have no steam or leaves, cannot photosynthesize. Instead, mosses wait for water to carry the nutrients they need to them. This is why and in what way mosses depend on water. They can only exist in wet places such as bogs, wetlands, and forests.

But secondly, we must discus this moss type's size, for this is an amazing fact about the cushion moss. In short; cushion moss is tiny. Look at this photo to get a better idea of how small these mosses really are.

Its a real shocker. Look at how miniscule the hundreds of individual fibers are compared to the tiny copper penny.

Now that you know how mosses, including cushion moss, get their food and how small this type is, what happens to these tiny plants when the winter snows blow in?

Well, mosses of all types prefer humidity. So when the snow comes in, it will undoubtedly turn brown, or in the least become brownish. But a few warm days will save it. Permanent frosts will probably kill it.

Anyway, cushion moss is spongy and soft, giving it its name. It can be many different shades of green on its outside, but has a more or less tan inside.

for my report on cushion moss. Moss, the simple life form with the big story behind it. Moss, the little plant that many creatures depend on. Moss, the first plant to grow on land, to dig its roots into the soil. Moss, the plant of beginnings.


-KittyLover8
© 2012