This shot reminds me of flying above a stand of pines. Actually, we’re flying at an altitude of about six inches. This stand of pines is really a clump of moss.
From this angle it looks more like a collection of pine seedlings. I found a lot of this moss in the low areas of the field I mowed. It appears to be of the genus
Polytrichum, most likely species
commune.
The total height is about three inches and the color is a more vibrant green than indicated by the photos. It’s really thick in some places and displays a sparkly shine when reflecting the sunlight.
You can find it tucked down among the tall grass stems about any time of year, but it’s not until you mow that you can see how really wide spread it is. Its height puts it just below the cutting blade, so the mower effectively cleans everything off for an unobstructed view of the moss. I usually think of mosses as quite tiny plants and it’s really neat to find one this large.
The dark green moss is impossible to miss here. I really enjoy seeing groups of plants like this that I know little about. It means that I’m not likely to run out of things to study at Blue Jay Barrens.
This shot reminds me of flying above a stand of pines. Actually, we’re flying at an altitude of about six inches. This stand of pines is really a clump of moss.
From this angle it looks more like a collection of pine seedlings. I found a lot of this moss in the low areas of the field I mowed. It appears to be of the genus Polytrichum, most likely species commune.
The total height is about three inches and the color is a more vibrant green than indicated by the photos. It’s really thick in some places and displays a sparkly shine when reflecting the sunlight. 
You can find it tucked down among the tall grass stems about any time of year, but it’s not until you mow that you can see how really wide spread it is. Its height puts it just below the cutting blade, so the mower effectively cleans everything off for an unobstructed view of the moss. I usually think of mosses as quite tiny plants and it’s really neat to find one this large.
The dark green moss is impossible to miss here. I really enjoy seeing groups of plants like this that I know little about. It means that I’m not likely to run out of things to study at Blue Jay Barrens. 
Friday I was at Clifton Gorge, and the moss everywhere was so vibrant. The green looked enhanced, but of course, it wasn't. I guess when you see it next to all the brown and gray of the surrounding plants, the green really comes to life. It was beautiful. Thanks for the info!
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