Rambling Tail-moss
This is a large, soft moss which I’ve only ever seen growing on one tree, a Field Maple. The BBS Guide lists quite a number of typical habitats, but not tree trunks. However, it’s well established on this old tree in Craighall Den, Ceres, along with Neckera complanata.
The trailing tails end in starry points, and when it’s damp, the leaves stand out from the stem so it has a bushy look.
However, when it’s dry, it looks completely different. The shoots shrivel up and look stringy.
The Guide say it’s “remarkable for its pronounced hydroscopic qualities” and certainly, this moss revives remarkably quickly when water is added.
The leaves have a nerve which ends just below the blunt tip.
Often this seems to have a little wiggle near the top.
It’s a distinctive, handsome moss which I’d love to find elsewhere – I’ll keep looking.
Pictures taken November 2021 and April 2022, Craighall Den, Ceres.
Learning about Mosses 