Star Moss and friends

Photos by Fred Heath 1/1/2013

The rains have brought out the ferns and mosses. Debbie Bird discovered a 'new-to-us' moss along the Bluff Trail in mid-December, and Fred took the photo above on New Year's day. Star Moss (Tortula ruralis) really looks like its name! It's tiny, so get close and use a loupe to see the details.

This photo gives you a better sense of scale. The dark green is regular ol' ordinary moss moss (which will remain so-named); the flat-looking rectangles are Liverworts, and the pale green is the Star Moss as above.  Get on the Bluff trail and check out these green things!