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Antitrichia curtipendula
Also called Pendulous Wing Moss
Antitrichia curtipendula (also known as pendulous wing moss or hanging moss) is a species of feather-moss found predominantly in western North America and the western coast of Europe.
While not being parasites, Epiphytes need a host to grow on. Unlike parasites, they do not cause any damage to the host on which they grow. Their host plant only provides support and a vantage point at which to reach the nutrients needed to grow. Hanging moss does not grow roots into the ground, instead growing complex root systems upon their host plant, that weave themselves into a tight mat and provide structure and support to the overall moss community. Living up off the forest floor allows these epiphytes to gain access to the precipitation falling through the forest canopy. Epiphytes engage in photosynthesis, gaining their energy from the incoming solar radiation. Living in the canopy not on the forest floor also gives these organisms access to more sunshine than they would get otherwise. They obtain nutrients and water from the air, eliminating the need for roots that occupy the soil.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Antitrichia curtipendula by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
