Thursday 25 September 2008

Sporophytes

I'm going to have to get myself a moss book. This moss was growing in the wet forest in the Otways. The sporophytes, in this and all the mosses, are very attractive and varied, and the capsules as well. According to one reference I have the spore capsules shrink as they age and this causes the air inside to compress. Eventually the cap pops off and spores are fired up to two metres. That's impressive, but apparently this process produces an audible 'pop'. Now that's something I'd like to see and hear. Maybe I'll start a bog garden in the old aquarium packed away beneath the house.

This I think is a liverwort or a hornwort, but I know even less about these so that's all I'm saying.

1 comment:

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Boobook
I would be grateful to hear if you find a good reference book on Mosses, etc.
Meanwhile, this link from the Botanic Gardens in Canberra (ANBG) at least confirms your Hornwort.
Cheers
Denis