Pincushion Moss
Pincushion Moss
Leucobryum glaucum
Plantae
COMMON

Stats

Lifespan
Perennial
Size
Tiny
Diet
Photosynthetic
Biome
Temperate forest
Range
North America, Europe
Movement
Sessile
Breeding
Spores
Defense
Camouflage
Status
Common

About

This moss grows in dense, rounded mounds across forests in North America and Europe. Its leaves store water in specialized cells that allow the plant to survive long dry spells.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    seed
    A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
  2. 2.
    sprout
    A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
  3. 3.
    sapling
    A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
  4. 4.
    mature
    Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Bryophyta
Class
Bryopsida
Order
Dicranales
Family
Leucobryaceae
Genus
Leucobryum
Species
Leucobryum glaucum