Stats

Lifespan

Perennial

Size

Tiny

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

Northern Hemisphere

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Spores

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Common

About

This moss grows on damp forest floors and rocky cliffs across three continents. It uses microscopic leaf teeth to catch and hold dew droplets for long-term hydration.

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

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Bryophyta

Class

Bryopsida

Order

Bryales

Family

Mniaceae

Genus

Plagiomnium

Species

Plagiomnium cuspidatum