Moss

Even though it's an early spring here in Wisconsin, most plants are still winter-brown. The moss under the pine trees, however, has already turned a vibrant green.

Mosses are fascinating plants. They've been around for half a billion years. I've heard them described as ancient, poor cousins to today's flowering plants. But David Haskell makes a different case for them in his new book, The Forest Unseen. He thinks they are perfectly adapted for their lifestyle.

They have no roots and no vascular system; they absorb the water and minerals they need directly through their leaves, which are only one cell thick and highly textured to catch and hold water. As soon as it rains in spring, they soak the water directly into their cells, which green up immediately and start producing food for the plant. The leaves hold five to ten times as much water on their surface as they do in their cells, so they help the forest retain water that otherwise would have run off and prevent erosion. Moss is as essential to the forest as the trees.

The next time you find a patch of moss, take some time to look at it through a magnifying glass, or the macro lens on your camera. Its intricate world is filled with beauty.

photo by Pictoscribe on Flickr