WIND-BLOWN MOSS

also called fork moss any plant of the genus Dicranum (order Bryales), numbering several hundred species distributed primarily throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They form dense cushions on soil, logs, or rocks. More than 20 species are native to North America. The most common is D. scoparium, sometimes called broom moss because of its broomlike or brushlike tufts. Its erect, often forked caulids (stems) may be 5 to 12 cm (2 to 5 inches) high; the yellow or yellow-green, glossy phyllids (leaves) and long-beaked capsules (spore cases) usually point in one direction. Broom moss is sometimes used by florists for window displays.