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How a Spore Becomes a Leafy-moss Plant

The spores which the wind carries from the spore-case to favourable places germinate. The spore first swells and sends forth a delicate tube which divides into a net-work of cells (protonema). Some cells (rhizoids) of the protonema contain leaf-green (chlorophyll) and extend over earth or wood or stone as a fine green web. Upon this green web little bud-like structures appear which develop into leafy moss-shoots. The leafy structure is the part one ordinarily sees and knows as "moss."

As a rule, when the Hairy-caps and other mosses are well grown, the protonema disappears. In a few species, as in the Beard Moss (Pogonatum brevicaule), it persists, being visible as a soft green covering on the ground, with small plants on its surface and conspicuous spore-cases erect upon the plants.