Mosses With a Real Inferiority Complex
February 8th, 2013 |
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Mosses, which probably already have an inferiority complex, must feel especially inferior in Sequoia National Park. When you stand in the shadows of giants, how will you ever get noticed? If you are lucky, someone like Lena Coleman will come to your rescue. You may have recently read David Quammen’s wonderful profile of The President, [...]
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How Mosses Have Sex in Spite of Their Swimming-Challenged Sperm
July 27th, 2012 |
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Last summer I was hiking in the tundra near Gray’s and Torrey’s Peaks when I came upon a moss that looked strange. It had little flattened discs that looked something like this: What were these things? Then I happened to pick up a book called “Gathering Moss“, and suddenly I knew what it was I [...]
Keep reading »Moss Sperm Smells Sweet Enough for Sex
July 18th, 2012 |
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Moss, that cushy, moisture-loving ground cover, is more promiscuous than we thought. These plants might not have the sexy flowers of a peony, but according to new research, they do manage to attract small pollinators with a subtle sweet smell. Previously, scientists had presumed that these primitive plants needed a layer of water for their [...]
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