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Mossy forest floor

The mosses growing over this rotting log are typical of South Island beech forests. The leafy bits are the mature moss, called gametophytes. The gametophytes produce the stalky bits on the left-hand side of the photo. At the end of the stalk is a spore capsule, which will germinate to produce the next generation of leafy bits. New Zealand has over 550 moss species, and I have no idea which one this is.

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