Alpine Thread-moss
It was the vivid colour that caught my eye as I pottered about among the rocks beside Kilmory bay, Ardnamurchan.
Close up, I could see that the strong red of the nerve added to the reddish tint of the leaves. It’s an extremely beautiful moss, especially when glistening in the sunshine.
Although its name implies high mountains, the book reassured me that it isn’t a particularly alpine moss. It’s commonest in the north and west. There are green forms, and some of the red shoots I looked at had some green leaves.
When dry, it loses its shine and closes up.
Under the microscope I could see that the red nerve slightly protrudes at the tip of the leaf, and the cells are long and narrow.
It had quite a Christmassy look, when the sun hit the microscope!
Pictures: Kilmory, Ardnamurchan, August 2019
Learning about Mosses 