Exciting sporophytes

   These photos show the sporophyte phase of the moss Hygroamblystegium varium.  The red stalks, called setae, raise the spore capsules high above the moss, so when the capsules open to release the spores, the wind can catch them for wider dispersal.

   The photos were taken early in the morning, so the backlighting makes for stunning photos.  This moss likes wet conditions, so it formed a colony on the rocks that surround a small pool in my Japanese-style garden.  The photos were taken in April.