Interesting facts about the ancient plant - Moss

Jan4,2024

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They date back 450 million years, and have survived and thrived through a range of drastic climate changes

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Ancient Plants

Comprised of 15,000-25,000 species, they occur on every continent and in every ecosystem habitable by plants that use sunlight for energy

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Thousands of species

Mosses and their cousins liverworts and hornworts are classified as Bryophyta in the plant kingdom

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Cousins of Mosses

Unlike most other plants, mosses don't have roots. Instead they have rhizoids

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No roots

Mosses grow in many different environments, from cold snowy mountains to baking hot deserts. Some have survived in 100 degree Centigrade while some others as low as -272 degree Centigrade

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Tougher outer layer

Mosses function like sponges, using their capillary spaces to hang on to water

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Soaking it up

Mosses can impact the temperature of the soil, both warming it up and cooling it down depending on the environment.

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Temperature control

Some mosses have adapted to low light conditions and are even found growing in caves. 

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 Some mosses are luminous

Mosses are important components of the vegetation in many regions of the world, and they make up a major part of the biodiversity in moist forest, wetland, mountain and tundra ecosystems.

Credit: Plant Kingdom

Biodiversity