Section M, N, and O

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"Section M, N, and O"

mos; akin to
AS. meós, D. mos, G. moos, OHG.
mos, mios, Icel. mosi, Dan. mos, Sw.
mossa, Russ. mokh', L. muscus. Cf.
Muscoid.] 1. (Bot.) A cryptogamous
plant of a cellular structure, with distinct stem and simple leaves.
The fruit is a small capsule usually opening by an apical lid, and so
discharging the spores. There are many species, collectively termed
Musci, growing on the earth, on rocks, and trunks of trees,
etc., and a few in running water.

&fist; The term moss is also popularly applied to many
other small cryptogamic plants, particularly lichens, species
of which are called tree moss, rock moss, coral
moss, etc. Fir moss and club moss are of the genus
Lycopodium. See Club moss, under Club, and
Lycopodium.

2. A bog; a morass; a place containing peat;
as, the mosses of the Scottish border.

&fist; Moss is used with participles in the composition of
words which need no special explanation; as, moss-capped,
moss-clad, moss-covered, moss-grown, etc.

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"Section M, N, and O"