Their leaves are mostly one cell thick, they have no true roots, stems, flowers, or fruit, and instead of seeds they have spores. For more information, read on, and consult Richardson Schofield , Shaw and Goffinet , and Sterling For in-depth information on the ecology of mosses, see Janice Glime's online book, Bryophyte Ecology.
How do mosses reproduce and spread? Mosses spread in multiple ways, but unlike flowering plants, they depend on moisture to sexually reproduce. Mosses reproduce by spores, which are analogous to the flowering plant's seed; however, moss spores are single celled and more primitive than the seed.
Spores are housed in the brown capsule that sits on the seta. As the spores ripen they are dispersed from the capsule, and some land in areas where there is enough moisture for them to grow. The young moss looks like a very thin tangled mass of branching green hairs. Buds will appear next on the green hairs, from which tiny stalks and slim leaves will grow.
Some mosses have cups on their tops that produce sperm, these are male plants. The female counterpart has eggs between her overlapping leaves. Water is a necessity for fertilization; as the sperm become mature they have to swim to the eggs to fertilize them. The fertilized egg then produces the stalked brown capsule. Mosses also spread asexually by sending out new shoots in the spring from last years plants as well as fragmentation.
Pieces of the moss body can break off, move by wind or water, and start a new plant if moisture permits. How do Mosses Acquire Nutrients? Mosses also have different mechanisms they use for acquiring nutrients. Some mosses are able to take up nutrients from water flowing over them, thus they have very effective absorptive surfaces. Other mosses, such as Polytrichum , sequester nutrients directly from the soil or substrate on which they are growing and transfer the nutrients to their growing tips.
With this in mind we can see that the physical and chemical nature of the substrate as well as its water holding capacity are extremely important in establishment of mosses. Where do mosses live? Now that we have seen the resilience mosses possess via their multiple modes of reproduction, it is easier to fathom that mosses can live anywhere from the Arctic Circle to the tropical forests at the equator.
They must absorb water directly from the soil or flowing over them. A plant's vascular system is similar to a human's circulatory system but, in plants, two types of cells form bundles of tissues to transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.
The bundles are stiff, which also helps plants grow tall. The lack of bundles to transport water and nutrients limits the height of bryophytes, generally keeping the largest under 8 inches. Mosses also are restricted to living in damp locations. Mosses have different methods for acquiring water and nutrients. Most mosses have very absorptive surfaces, drawing in nutrients from water flowing over them and then passing water and nutrients from cell to cell.
Others take nutrients directly from the soil or other substances on which they grow and transfer the nutrients through channels in their tissues to their growing tips. Mosses can also dehydrate for long periods without permanent damage.
As a sign of their relationship to algae, mosses need at least a thin film of water to reproduce because sperm must swim to reach an egg for fertilization. Moss reproduces by spores in alternation of generations. They get some nutrients from water, but mostly they make their own food through photosynthesis.
Ask most gardeners what can be done about moss and they will tell you that that the soil is too acidic low pH and it needs to be sweetened with lime calcium. This is false! As we said above, moss grows in any type of soil — acidic, alkaline, and sometimes on pure rock.
The only reason that lime sometimes helps lawns squeeze out moss is when the soil actually is too acidic for the grass to grow properly and it is thinning out. Adding lime in this case, would raise the pH and improve the health of the grass. So, as you can see , the real cause of the moss here is the poor health of the grass.
To conclude, if you have moss growing in your lawn, look for the conditions that may be causing or contributing to it. If you have any other questions about moss, please feel free to drop us a line at info natureslawn. Skip to content. Why is there moss in my lawn?
The biggest myth about moss Ask most gardeners what can be done about moss and they will tell you that that the soil is too acidic low pH and it needs to be sweetened with lime calcium.
Soggy soils, often clay types, drown grass roots but shallow rooted moss can tolerate and thrive in wet soils. You can improve soil drainage with Aerify Plus. Too much shade. Grass plants needs a fair amount of sunlight for enough photosynthesis to keep them healthy. Shade tolerant varieties can withstand a little less light, but some moss varieties survive in total shade.
Trimming back the lower branches of trees can be helpful. Grasses are tough plants that can grow in fairly heavy clay top soils, especially if the soil is moist. But extreme compaction or denser clays are almost impregnable. Moss has no problem growing on this dense clay.
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