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. Kristian Hassel, NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet / Flickr
GETTING LOW Sphagnum moss species grow low to the ground on the forest floor, one reason that launching its spores high in the air helps disperse its offspring.
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