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XIV

Mosses and Lichens

by Nina L. Marshall

"MOSSES AND LICHENS" begins with an eye-opening revelation of the usefulness of these lowly plants in the scheme of Nature. Their beauty grows upon us as we look for them, and give careful scrutiny to their marvellous structure and their loveliness of colouring. These are the pioneers of the vegetable kingdom. The reindeer grazes on a lichen most of the year; sphaghum moss transforms ponds into peat bogs. Iceland moss is used as food, and the manna of the Israelites is believed to have been derived from a lichen.

The more one dips into the study of these plants the wider becomes his horizon, the more of marvel and surprise every walk in the woods reveals.

The origin and nature of lichens, liverworts, and leafy mosses, with an account of the life history of a typical species of each is followed by an orderly description of genera and species. Directions are given for collecting and preserving specimens. The illustrations are copious, and greatly assist in the identifying of species.

7 groups · 124 entries

Mosses and Lichens at Home2 species How to Know the Lichens and Mosses — What They Are Doing on Rocks and Trees8 species Lichens in History4 species Origin and Nature of Lichens3 species Leafy Mosses20 species Position of Hepatics and Mosses in the Plant Kingdom as Shown by a Comparison of Homologous Parts9 species Herbarium78 species

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