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Project Noah Nature School
Spotted on a small area of downs land in Mid-Cornwall UK
Spotted on Mar 19, 2012
Submitted on Mar 20, 2013
2 Comments
Nice macro spotting!
You've got a moss. The taller brownish "spikes" are the reproductive structures of the moss. Mosses reproduce both sexually, and asexually, called "alternation of generations. The spikes you see produce spores, which is the asexual part of reproduction. one plant, either male or female, will grow from each spore. Each will produce either a male or female gamete (sex cell), which will hopefully find each other on top of a female moss, fuse sexually, which then forms these spiky features you photographed. These then produce spores, etc etc.
Fascinating, I think. :) This will explain better:
http://www.world-builders.org/lessons/le...