Aulacomnium (sun moss)

  Ribbed bog moss (sun moss) leaves are bright yellowish-green to green; their bright color sometimes gives ribbed bog moss an incandescent appearance ("glow moss"). Bright leaves that contrast starkly with the reddish-brown stems typically make ribbed bog moss the most conspicuous species in moss assemblages. The leaves are lanceolate in shape and often tomentose, becoming twisted and brown when dry. They range from 3 to 5 mm long. Ribbed bog moss anchors to the substrate with rhizoids. Because ribbed bog moss lacks vascular tissue, water uptake occurs by osmosisand capillary action. A network of capillary spaces between stems and rhizoids enhances water uptake; ribbed bog moss usually absorbs water more efficiently than associated sphagnum mosses.