MOSSES

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

Bryophyta

 

endless moss on a forest floor

 When I was studying Botany - centuries ago – Bryophyta was the Taxonomic term used for mosses, liverworts and hornworts. Nowadays it refers to the mosses only.The term is derived from the Greek words “bron,” which means “tree moss or liverwort,” and “phutón,” which means “plant.” 

Characteristics

 Bryophytes are typically small and prefer damp locations, though they can endure in drier conditions as well. They are the most basic plants that may be found on land. Some have an extraordinary ability to endure extended periods of freezing and dryness, and when moisture is restored, photosynthesis is resumed. 

a moss carpet !

 The plant body is thallus-like and usually prostrate, with rhizoids attaching it to the substratum. A bryophyte’s only distinguishing feature is the absence of true vascular tissue.Most thrive on the soil, the living or decaying materials of other plants, and the persistent residues of their own growth. A few are aquatic in nature, while others grow on the exposed rock surface.They tend to form flattened mats, spongy carpets, but sometimes hanging tufts. Growth is usually correlated with the humidity and sunlight available in the habitat. 

Life cycle of moss

 The mosses reproduce using an alternation of generations. They do not make flowers or seeds, but instead produce sex organs each with sperm and eggs. 

moss with spore caps - the sporangium

 Once fertilized, the embryo remains attached and produces spores inside the enclosed female reproductive organ. The released spores are from which new adult gametophytes develop. 

a moss capsule - sporangium with spores

 

Ecology

 Bryophytes are most abundant in climates that are constantly humid. The greatest diversity is at tropical and subtropical latitudes. The rare Elfin Forest in PR is an example where no soil accumulates from the constant rain and only mosses grow - to 4' TALL !! 

The Elfin Forest - a dwarf moss forest on the tops of El Yunque Rainforest, PR

 The moss Sphagnum however dominate the vegetation of extensive areas of the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Its from where we get peat moss for our gardens !  

Sphagnum moss - alive !

 

Use

 The peat moss genus Sphagnum is an economically important bryophyte. The harvesting, processing, and sale of Sphagnum peat is a multimillion-dollar industry.Peat is also used as an energy source, the extraction of organic products, in whiskey production, and as insulation. 

Dry peat brick pic

 Bryophytes are very important in initiating soil formation on barren terrain. They are also crucial in maintaining soil moisture, and in recycling nutrients in forest vegetation.

  

Our Design Team can build you a MOSS GARDEN ! 

Call us - we've done it before !!!

  

PLANT SPECIALISTSGREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !

   Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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