Moss hairs or algae?

[TonyD]

Hi. I haven't posted on this forum before but have been lurking for a while. I have a question about moss and this is the forum with the best moss information I have found so I hope someone can help me.

I have a piece of driftwood with Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana). That is the name I purchased it under, I really can't say for sure what it is. On the bottoms of many fronds are brown hair like growths. I thought these were brush algae so have been ripping them off. They only grow on the under side of the moss and never on the wood next to the moss so I am now starting to think they are some kind of attachment hair for the moss. Can anyone tell me what these are?

Thanks,
Tony

[Green Baron]

Hi. I haven't posted on this forum before but have been lurking for a while. I have a question about moss and this is the forum with the best moss information I have found so I hope someone can help me.

I have a piece of driftwood with Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana). That is the name I purchased it under, I really can't say for sure what it is. On the bottoms of many fronds are brown hair like growths. I thought these were brush algae so have been ripping them off. They only grow on the under side of the moss and never on the wood next to the moss so I am now starting to think they are some kind of attachment hair for the moss. Can anyone tell me what these are?

Thanks,
Tony

Tony,
You have come to the right place to ask about mosses.
Quite a number of people have asked about the brownish hair like growth underneath their mosses. They are not algae so don't rip them off ! They are root-like structures known as rhizoids which serve for attachment and water absorption.

Gan

[timebomb]

They only grow on the under side of the moss and never on the wood next to the moss so I am now starting to think they are some kind of attachment hair for the moss. Can anyone tell me what these are?

Tony, do you have the Erect Moss?

For some strange reason, unlike the Christmas, Singapore and Java Moss, the Erect Moss does not produce rhizoids. In other words, the Erect cannot cling to driftwoods like the way the other mosses do. You have to have very good eyesight to see the rhizoids, Tom. I can never see them although I know they are there. The rhizoids on the liverwort, Monoselenium tenerum are very distinct though.

Loh K L

[TonyD]

Thanks for the information. I have a pretty bad track record for suspected algae. I was recently picking off spots of "brush algae" from my Java Fern leaves until I realized they were the root hairs for the baby plantlets.

I think what I have is Java Moss. The rhizoids are fairly easy to see on mine, as long as your face is pressed right up against the glass and you are really searching for some sign of algae to worry about.

That's interesting that Monoselenium tenerum has rhizoids also. I just traded someone for a little, but was under the impression that it was like Riccia fluitans and would never really attach. Does it grip firmly enough to grow over driftwood like a moss or does it need to be continously tied down like Riccia?

Tony

[Green Baron]

For some strange reason, unlike the Christmas, Singapore and Java Moss, the Erect Moss does not produce rhizoids. In other words, the Erect cannot cling to driftwoods like the way the other mosses do. You have to have very good eyesight to see the rhizoids, Tom. I can never see them although I know they are there. The rhizoids on the liverwort, Monoselenium tenerum are very distinct though.

Loh K L

KL,
My Erect Moss has lots of rhizoides.



I think when the moss is established and healthy, they will produce rhizoides. Your Erect Moss looks very healthy when I last saw it. I wonder why they don't have rhizoides. Could it be that your shrimp and killiefish have been feasting on the rhizoides

.. and my Erect Moss clings on to wood and wire mesh too ! Recently, I had to salvage a wire mesh with Erect Moss on it. When I try to peel the moss off the mesh, I can feel it clinging on to the mesh.

Gan

[timebomb]

That's interesting that Monoselenium tenerum has rhizoids also. I just traded someone for a little, but was under the impression that it was like Riccia fluitans and would never really attach. Does it grip firmly enough to grow over driftwood like a moss or does it need to be continously tied down like Riccia?

Tony, I'm not sure about this as I can't grow the plant well but the rhizoids of the M. tenerum do not cling on to driftwoods like the way those of mosses do. I think they are used only for absorbing nutrients and not for gripping on to anything.

My Erect Moss has lots of rhizoides.

That's really strange. I don't have any rhizoids on mine. Are we talking about the same moss, Gan? I took a look at your pic and the brown dots look more like sexual organs than rhizoids. Or were you referring to the fuzzy white-coloured stuff?

Loh K L

[Green Baron]

My Erect Moss has lots of rhizoides.

That's really strange. I don't have any rhizoids on mine. Are we talking about the same moss, Gan? I took a look at your pic and the brown dots look more like sexual organs than rhizoids. Or were you referring to the fuzzy white-coloured stuff?

Loh K L

I think we are talking about the same moss, i.e. Erect Moss. ;-)
I am referring to the brown hair like stuff under the leaves. I don't think they are sex organs.

Gan

[kadios]

???

This discussion has thrown me out of my chair!!! So those brownish thing under the moss is not BBA? I have some on my xmas moss and lately from the erect moss Gan gave to me. I always thought they were reddish brown horrible bba! Can I assume that these rhizoids do not grow on new leaves of mosses? Anything other thing that is brown and hairy looking on old moss branch is bba? Pls enlighten, I am pretty confuse now.

Cheers!

Kar Hwee

[Green Baron]

???

This discussion has thrown me out of my chair!!! So those brownish thing under the moss is not BBA? I have some on my xmas moss and lately from the erect moss Gan gave to me. I always thought they were reddish brown horrible bba! Can I assume that these rhizoids do not grow on new leaves of mosses? Anything other thing that is brown and hairy looking on old moss branch is bba? Pls enlighten, I am pretty confuse now.

Cheers!

Kar Hwee

Kar Hwee,
If it is BBA, it is darker in colour and should be growing on top of the moss and pointing upwards and not below and pointing downwards.

I am very sure the Erect Moss I passed to you does not have BBA nor any other type of algae. All my mosses are algae free !

Gan

[hwchoy]

KL and Gan, can we get a confirmation about those brown hairy stuff from the Prof. I thought I heard him say the magic word too, i.e. SEX ORGANS

also I always saw capsules shortly after the brown hairs appear, so I could have gotten it fixed in my mind that they’re the sex organs. Would be good if I knew for sure.

[TonyD]

Great picture Gan, those fuzzy brown things are exactly like what I have under my moss. I also am interested to know what they are for sure, but at least I know now that they aren't algae.

Tony

[Green Baron]

KL and Gan, can we get a confirmation about those brown hairy stuff from the Prof. I thought I heard him say the magic word too, i.e. SEX ORGANS

also I always saw capsules shortly after the brown hairs appear, so I could have gotten it fixed in my mind that they’re the sex organs. Would be good if I knew for sure.

I showed Prof Tan the above photo and he confirmed the brown stuff are indeed rhizoides.

This is Prof Tan's reply :
"By the position, the brown structures are the rhizoids used for attachment. Sex organs in mosses have a definite and different shape, not hairy and filament-like. Either they are swollen club shape for the male organ, or like a small bowling pin for the female sex organ. Mature rhizoids have no chloroplasts, hence, they are brownish usually."

Gan

[hwchoy]

I showed Prof Tan the above photo and he confirmed the brown stuff are indeed rhizoides.

This is Prof Tan's reply :
"By the position, the brown structures are the rhizoids used for attachment. Sex organs in mosses have a definite and different shape, not hairy and filament-like. Either they are swollen club shape for the male organ, or like a small bowling pin for the female sex organ. Mature rhizoids have no chloroplasts, hence, they are brownish usually."

Gan

good work Gan! you live in NUS or what ?
I have never seen this clubs and bowling pins though

[timebomb]

Hi, fellas,

It was a bit late last night to see clearly but this afternoon, I took a very close look at my mosses and I can confirm now that the professor is right about the brown hairy stuff being rhizoids. It took me a while to find some Erect Moss with rhizoids. I couldn't find a single strand of Erect Moss with rhizoids in my terrarium tank. Maybe when the plant is grown emersed, it doesn't need to grip anything firmly. I found a few strands with rhizoids in one of my balcony tanks where the moss was grown submersed but not tied to anything. Here's a pic:



I suspect mosses throw out more rhizoids when they are tied to driftwoods or rocks. I also examine my Christmas Moss closely and I think I found the bowling pins and swollen clubs the Professor wrote about. Here's a pic of the sex organs:



It's hard to tell the bowling pin from the swollen club though

Loh K L

[kadios]

No offence intended Gan, please pardon my ignorance with the moss you gave me. Thanks for the enlightenment guys!

Cheers!

Kar Hwee

[Green Baron]

KL,
My Erect Moss has capsules ! The capsules are not yet mature according to Proft Tan. I will post a new thread showing the photo of the capsules once they are mature.

Gan

[timebomb]

KL,
My Erect Moss has capsules !

Hey, that's great news. Maybe you should try growing Java Moss too if you don't already have them in your tanks.

Loh K L

[Green Baron]

KL,
My Erect Moss has capsules !

Hey, that's great news. Maybe you should try growing Java Moss too if you don't already have them in your tanks.

Loh K L

I have Java moss growing on the same driftwood (in my office moss tank). I planted only Erect Moss but somehow a few strands of Java Moss managed to sneak in. They are just like riccia, you find them everywhere. I am hoping the capsules are from Java and not Erect Moss. Will know once they are matured and I untangled the mess.

Gan

[Vaibhav Kaushik]

Hello Friends,
i am new to planted tank setup, I attached a christmas moss on the driftwood and after fifteen days of setup i noticed hairy stuff on the freshly grown christmas moss. photo is attached for your reference image.jpg


i am just wondering what exactly it is ?

[Ingen]

Algae, one of the hardest to rid of completely...