A small team from the National Park Service struck out across the wooded and grassy landscape of Werowocomoco last month in search of moss and liverworts, adding to the growing catalog of plant species at the site.
After collecting small samples from both the wooded and field environments, moss was sent to a volunteer who used microscopes and other specialized equipment to study it.
The volunteer found just one liverwort species tangled among the moss. Two of the moss species identified had not been recorded elsewhere in Gloucester County.
The list of species the volunteer compiled is a part of a larger effort to catalogue the plant community at Werowocomoco. Other projects have included an invasive species inventory and use of apps to photograph and identify a wide range of species.
The moss survey led to other discoveries. Lady Slipper Orchids, a somewhat rare flower that depends on a symbiotic fungal relationship, are still found in the abundance through the property’s woodlands.
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