Pointed spear-moss (Calliergonella cuspidata)

These moss shoots are the first species I have added to the overall tally for the project in 2007. I spotted them through close-focus binoculars on the more or less bare ground of Great Plantain Desert.

I have come across pointed spear-moss quite often in the neighbourhood, but it seems normally to prefer rather wetter places than the Emthree project. However, it now joins list of plants recorded that are said to prefer moister soils: square-stalked St. John's-wort, gipsywort, marsh thistle, greater bird's-foot trefoil. All of these grow well in quite dry, or even very dry, places in Emthree and/or The Waste. Maybe they can grow almost anywhere and simply have a better ability than some to cope with wetter soils and are normally out-competed on drier ones.

The pointed leading shoot is very distinctive and it is often quite easy to pick out the moss while walking along.