They also love to grow on poor substrate, so you often see them on exposed rock or disturbed soil. Moss is usually always found where there is some moisture because they dry out relatively easily. No matter where in the world you are, there is a good chance moss is growing nearby. Finally, their sporophytes arise from the side of stems. Their cells are typically very long compared to acrocarpous moss. Pleurocarpous mosses have branching stems and often create dense mats on the ground. Finally, their spore-producing parts, the sporophytes, arise at the end of the stems. In addition, cells in the leaves of these mosses are usually square-shaped. In addition, moss gets its water and nutrients by absorbing everything directly through its leaves, unlike vascular plants which have roots.Īll mosses have the same general features, but there are two different growth habits – acrocarpous and pleurocarpous.Īcrocarpous mosses usually grow upright and don’t have branching stems, almost like miniature conifer trees. Because vascular systems help plants stay rigid and grow upright, moss is typically very small and stays low to the ground. As a type of Bryophyte, moss is a spore-producing nonvascular plant.

In this article, we’ll go over more than 25 common types of moss and how to recognize them. Although moss isn’t the most diverse group of plants out there, there are still around 12,000 species! Some of the most common species can be found on multiple continents. Moss loves to colonize new ground, so it commonly grows on rocks, brick walls, cracks in the sidewalk, and everything in between.

It’s now found on every continent including Antarctica, thanks to its ability to grow in Earth’s harshest environments. As one of the first land plants, moss was able to spread across the entire globe. Moss is a ubiquitous plant that often goes underappreciated and overlooked.

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