Mystery plant: Moose Creek, Yukon

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by sunshade, Jun 26, 2012.

  1. sunshade

    sunshade Active Member 10 Years

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    A friend just got back from the Yukon with photos of this incredible plant. We haven't been able to identify it, thought perhaps you might be able to help. I've been told the flowers are the size of a dime, or smaller.
     

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  2. saltcedar

    saltcedar Rising Contributor 10 Years

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  3. Sea Witch

    Sea Witch Active Member

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    I don't know what it is, but that is the strangest thing I've ever seen. Wow!
     
  4. sunshade

    sunshade Active Member 10 Years

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    Thank you Saltcedar - looks like you hit the nail on the head!
     
  5. The photographs are very well done. Someone there, has real talent. The plants are amazing. Literally, amazing. The other plant life captured in the shots are also breathtaking. This is one of the most beautiful diversity of habitat plant life in combination, I have ever seen. Not yet lost in this world.
    Thank you for sharing this.
     
  6. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I agree - awesome photos. Your friend, clearly a skillful photographer, should really be credited by name.

    I was surprised to find a Memorial University of Newfoundland page with a photo indicating the size of these - someone holding a bunch of them on moose dung (common name is yellow moosedung moss). That's not what I expected at all, even though you said the flowers were the size of a dime - I wonder if the size varies much, or they really are all only a few inches high. The page is a brief description of field work on odour chemistry involving this and similar mosses.
     
  7. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    It being a moss, they're not flowers.
     
  8. sunshade

    sunshade Active Member 10 Years

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    If they're not flowers, what are they?

    By the way, the photographer's name is Nino Kinmont.
     
  9. sunshade

    sunshade Active Member 10 Years

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    Also called Umbrella Moss and Petticoat Moss.
     
  10. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    He should submit that last photo to the UBCBG Botany Photo of the Day group. On flickr, so I can make it a favourite.

     
  11. I found that the tops on some of the plants are referenced to as fruits on some sites.
    Some mosses are edible. Like mushroom there are spores with the species we have all been looking at today. So I was wondering, is this one edible? Poisonous?

    Please tell your friend Nino how impressed everyone has been with the photo's.
    Thanks again.
     
  12. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Spore capsules.
     
  13. Thank you Michael F.
    I looked it up with your helpful answer and found the plant in question (seemed to be in a painting) with your info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/moss
     
  14. sunshade

    sunshade Active Member 10 Years

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    Thank you, everyone, for your helpful references. I've learned so much in this process! The painting in the link you offered, Lynne, is stunning . . . also the others in Ernst Haeckel's book (sorry I don't know how to put in the hyperlink).

    I've just added it: it appears over my flickr name, but I've credited Nino in the details.
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2012
  15. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Cite scientific source for this statement?
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2012

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