Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Tiny
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Various habitats
Range: Worldwide
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Spores
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

Redshank moss is a dioicous moss with a height of 3 centimeters, growing in a variety of habitats, from polluted highway shoulders and mine tailings to the bright slopes of Antarctica. One surprising, specific detail about the creature itself is that its color ranges from yellow-green to red.

Life cycle

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

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Bryophyta
Class: Bryopsida
Order: Dicranales
Family: Ditrichaceae
Genus: Ceratodon
Species: Ceratodon purpureus