A fascinating guide to the natural and cultural significance of mosses and lichens.
 
Moss and Lichen is a celebration of the extraordinary biology, beauty, and resilience of two unassuming organisms. Endowed with unique abilities to thrive in extreme habitats, mosses and lichens defy easy categorization. Mosses, which are integral to the plant kingdom, and lichens, which are a kingdom unto themselves, colonize a variety of landscapes from rainforests to deserts to urban streets. Long neglected for lacking flowers, these organisms are now beloved for their significant role in maintaining the health of our world’s ecosystem.
 
Elizabeth Lawson describes how mosses and lichens shape landscapes, prevent erosion, and sequester carbon, but she also offers a wide-ranging introduction to the biologists, artists, and writers inspired by their beauty. Moss and Lichen will inspire a newfound appreciation for these unsung heroes of the natural world.

Elizabeth Lawson is a naturalist, writer, and former president of the American Primrose Society. Her books include Primrose, also in Reaktion Books’ Botanical series.

Introduction: The Cryptogamic Carpet one Curious Vegetation two Moss: Versatile Minimalist three Lichen: Complex Individuality four Moss and Lichen: Cosmopolitan Extremophiles five Bogland six Moss and Lichen: Literary Ecology seven Curious Observers eight #moss#lichen Timeline References Further Reading Associations and Websites Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index