Copper Moss

On damp rock at Anderson Springs, Lake County, California, March 25th 2002. Scanned slide 038-007. This is very similar to scanned slide 038-004, posted on Dec. 10th 2011, but has a slightly different colour balance.

This is a freshly collected specimen (with permit) from Sequoia National Park, photographed courtesy of John Brinda, at the nearby St. Anthony's Retreat on the day of collection.

Two rare mosses, Mielichhoferia elongata and Scopelophila ligulata, are in this image. The more intense-colored patches are Mielichhoferia (near the waterfall and elsewhere), the dull green non-descript patches are Scopelophila, see closer views of each species.

This is a rare moss that requires copper and/or other metals in the substrate and is thus one of the so-called 'copper mosses'. The bluish-green color and small size are distinctive.