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Mystifying Moss Myths?
MOSS MYTHS
Many myths and old wive's tales exist about mosses. Direct observation and field experience have dispelled some of these ideas... at least for me.
Moss requires shade.
FALSE! Although many/most bryophytes like shade, a few select mosses not only tolerate direct sun but really LIKE SUN! Remember
moss is not just moss... different types have varying
environmental requirements. Examples include Polytrichum which grows along sunny roadsides
and there's a special type of Leucobryum that stayed intense green
throughout last summer's August heat and drought... even in direct
sun... in my own moss garden!
MOSS grows on the north side of trees. If you are lost in the woods, you can use moss to find your way back out.
FALSE! In humid areas with high levels of rainfall... like where I live in western North Carolina USA... moss grows on ALL sides of the trees. If I get lost, I sure would not depend on moss as as a guide to figure out which direction to head out. In some areas of the country, maybe moss does only grow on the NORTH side and this myth might be true!
FYI... I have noticed more moss growing on north slopes though.
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
TRUE! According to MythBusters, Discovery Channel, their test
results on this myth indicated that when the stone was kept moving...
moss would not grow... in contrast with their other test sample that sat
still as a rock and moss grew! MYTH CONFIRMED. I did follow-up with the professor who recommended the moss for the test. It was indeed a stone moss that grows on the West Coast, Scleropodium.
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site is not affiliated with the Discovery Channel or MythBusters.
Please visit the Official
MythBusters site for official content.
Episode
31: Breaking Glass, A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss, Shop-Vac Jet
Engine
A
Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss
Myth:
"A rolling stone gathers no moss"
This
is the longest myth ever tested on MythBusters.
'Gathering'
= 'Collecting'
Tory
philosophized the meaning of 'gathers': does it mean grow on or
merely to catch moss as it rolls. To test the 'collect' meaning they
went to a hill, rolled some stones, and verified that a rolling stone
can in fact catch moss while rolling.
'Gathering'
= 'Growing'
They
built an irrigated barrel, split in two. One half spun continuously
while the control half remained still. Three rocks were placed in
each half. Some matting was added to the rig to keep it moist.
They
enlisted the help of Brent Mishler, Moss Professor, to find good
moss. Mishler recommended equal parts buttermilk and moss, grinded in
a coffee grinder, to spread over the rocks and the run.
Tory
used a hammer drill to grind up the buttermilk and moss mixture into
a chunky paste, ignoring the recommendation of Mishler that it needed
to be a smooth mixture. The chunky paste was applied to the rocks and
the track. Tory's mistake ended up costing them six weeks of useless
testing: none of the rocks, even the ones that were still, grew moss,
though a rock that already had moss grew more moss.
Jamie:
"I thought this was going to be an easy, simple experiment, but
you screwed it up."
After
making the mixture properly this time, they once again started got
things rolling. This time they let it go for six months, making this
the longest experiment in MythBusters history.
Results
-
All
of their stationary rocks grew moss.
-
None
of the rolling rocks grew moss.
They
interpreted the spirit of the myth to mean that a rolling stone grows
no moss, which their rolling barrel test demonstrated.
confirmed: A ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS!
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