The year of moss: day 4

I spent today out on Banks Peninsula climbing at Ōtepatotu. Ōtepatotu is a lovely crag, tucked into a little patch of forest, with both excellent rock climbing and excellent mosses (two things I love). I photographed quite a few different mosses while out there, but the one I’m sharing today is Lembophyllum divulsum. This species occurs in Aotearoa and Australia, and is most often seen in forest habitats, but can also grow in open grassland. The leaves of L. divulsum look like tiny round bowls, which stack together along the stem to produce a shingle-like texture. L. divulsum apparently has traditional Māori uses in hunting (as a bird-snare disguise), and medical purposes, and is one of the few mosses with a known te reo Māori name (wheuwheu) that appears to refer specifically to this species. See here for more info if you’re interested in this (it’s where I got this info from): https://rauropiwhakaoranga.landcareresearch.co.nz/names/93331f91-5442-4a5a-8c3d-f0c2c6aa08e4
Cuteness: 9/10
Distinctiveness: 9/10
LMR: 9/10
See here for today's observation of L. divulsum at Ōtepatotu: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/248218018

Posted on October 20, 2024 07:15 AM by fuligogirl