Moss counters shortness with A-bomb-style clouds

Sphagnum overcomes drag by launching spores in vortex rings

SEATTLE — A little bog moss turns out to be a master of throwing up.

UP The plump round capsules of a sphagnum moss launch spores upward when ripe. New work on several moss species finds a vortex-ring mechanism that amplifies the height of the spores’ launch.