Moss on the Rocks

Woodland Stonecrop on a moss covered rock

Warming weather and spring rains brings the rocks to life along Bull Creek.  Beneath the rock ledges, the mosses awaken from their winter slumber.  Wikipedia calls them  "small, non-vascular flowerless plants that typically form dense green clumps or mats," hardly a flattering description.  Up close after a shower they are much more, providing beauty and a home for insects and plants on boulders and rotting logs.  Here we see the delicate leaves of the woodland stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) growing on what would otherwise be just a rock.  In the words of Wikipedia:

"It has white flowers, blooming April to May. This shade-tolerant species is often found in the forest understory, although it can also grow in sunnier locations when sufficient moisture is present. Its common name of "stonecrop" evokes its ability to thrive atop boulders, where its succulent leaves help it to retain moisture in shallow soil. It adapts well to garden use."

Woodland Stonecrop flowers - Wikipedia

It is able to grow on these rocks because of the moss.  In the words of The Beatles   "I get by with a little help of my friends," I too need a lot of help, in this case from bryophytologist, Nels Holmberg.  He identified this green cover as Common Tree-skirt Moss, Anomodon attenuatus.   Illinois Wildflowers says:

"The dense mats of foliage provide cover for small insects and other invertebrates. The foliage of Common Tree-skirt Moss was often used as construction material for the nests of the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea). Because of this kind of activity, songbirds may be responsible, in part, for spreading this moss from one tree or area to another, as it rarely produces spore-bearing capsules."
 

The minature garden of lichen above is growing in a field of moss.  Nancy Schanda described these for us in the past.  "These are Pixie Cup lichens, Cladonia sp, which are found growing on soil and mosses and look very much like goblets for wee folk. These lichens display two of the main growth forms that are used to help identify lichens - squamulose and fruticose."

Glossy moss

The moss with capsules, each on the tip of a seta is most likely glossy moss, Entodon seductrix. Some birds use this as nesting material. In our bluebird boxes, finding this is a sign of a chickadee nest.

Chickadee eggs - click to enlarge

As Spring is sprung, no glossy moss is safe from the birds.  The good news is that carrying the strands spreads the spores, a free ride to a new location and maybe a lonely rock.

For a good and quick overview of moss, lichen and liverworts, check out this link.