Category Archives: Moss
Microsafari: Bear hunting
I spent much of Saturday on a trip organized by the Sewanee Herbarium, led by Paul Davison from the University of North Alabama. In addition to being a botanical expert, Paul is a master of finding the “wee beasties” (a … Continue reading
Revival (no tent please)
Air from the Gulf of Mexico has come for a visit, bringing warmth, rain, and ever-changing clouds. I took this shot yesterday morning before walking into Shakerag Hollow. Mosses and lichens love this weather. No tree canopy interferes with their … Continue reading
Posted in Lichens, Moss, Nests, Shakerag Hollow
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Moss
An unassuming patch of bare soil, next to the trail: On closer inspection: …about a dozen exquisite little moss plants, each growing as a solitary spike. The tufts at the base of each spike are the photosynthetic “leaves” (mosses don’t … Continue reading
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Deck the… lab walls
My colleague, Jon Evans, asks students in his Plant Systematics and Evolution class to produce a holiday wreath at the end of the semester. Their challenge: to build an attractive wreath using as many plant species as possible. Sewanee’s 13,000 … Continue reading
Posted in Berries, Moss, Plants
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Dick Cove
My Field Investigations in Biology class ventured into the old growth forest in Dick Cove (aka Thumping Dick Hollow, apparently named for a former inhabitant who built an ingenious corn-pounding device). In addition to measuring trees to quantify how the … Continue reading
Astonishing mini-world
In an eight by eight inch area, all the following mosses, lichens and young herbs crowd together. I was stunned by the diversity of form that was represented in this one small patch of forest floor.
Posted in Lichens, Moss
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