Golden Flames

Glinting, imitating Christmas decorations, tiny little ice crystals sparkled in the sunlight on the table top outside. Crisply blanketing the very small cushion moss, only 1cm high, in the chill of the morning but fast melting, the effect was incredibly pretty. Looking down a macro lens, the tall stalks or seta carrying the spore capsules resembled beautiful glistening golden flames pointing their fiery heads skywards. Very Christmasy!

Rootless, leafless and evergreen they can live in a variety of habitats. The seta carry the browny-gold capsules from which spores emanate in the right conditions reproducing both sexually and asexually, with the eggs having developed in the sporophyte or spore-plant which takes the nutrients from it's parent.

More mossy pictures. This needs to be seen in LARGE