# Cat's Tail Moss (*Pseudisothecium stoloniferum*)

Cat's Tail Moss is a soft, green plant that grows in shady, damp places. It looks like tiny green tails and is fun to touch! This moss helps keep the soil healthy and provides homes for tiny creatures.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Cat's Tail Moss](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pseudisothecium_stoloniferum_282158643.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Shaan Aroeste, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudisothecium_stoloniferum_282158643.jpg)

## Appearance

The Cat's Tail Moss has soft, feathery fronds that form dense, plush mats of deep green to yellowish-green. Its branches spread out, giving a distinctive, somewhat flattened, lacy appearance. It often resembles miniature ferns or tiny, bushy cat's tails.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Bryophyta
- **Class:** Bryopsida
- **Order:** Hypnales
- **Family:** Lembophyllaceae
- **Genus:** Pseudisothecium

## Interesting facts

- It doesn't have true roots, getting water directly through its leaves.
- Mosses help create new soil by slowly breaking down rocks. Wow!
- This ancient plant existed even before dinosaurs walked the Earth!
- Tiny animals like 'water bears' can live safely tucked away in its leaves.

## Special abilities

- **Spore Sprint:** Cat's Tail Moss releases tiny spores that travel on wind and water, allowing it to colonize new places far away.
- **Revive Power:** Cat's Tail Moss can dry out completely and appear dead, only to revive and turn green again when it gets water!

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 2-10 cm
- **Spread:** 5-50 cm
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Water

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** [leopard slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — grazes on its moist fronds
- **Shelter:** red wood ant (*Formica rufa*) — builds nests or finds refuge within its mats
- **Shelter:** water bear (*Paramacrobiotus richtersi*) — tiny water bears live safely within its leaves

## Traits

- [Nonvascular](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nonvascular): This trait characterizes plants lacking specialized vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) for transporting water and nutrients.
- [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

It's safe to touch, but be gentle and don't pull it out of the ground.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Cat's Tail Moss?

Compare growth form, branching, tiny leaves and any spore capsules. Mosses, liverworts and lichens can share a spot but are very different organisms. Moss Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Cat's Tail Moss?

2-10 cm

### How wide does Cat's Tail Moss spread?

5-50 cm

### Is Cat's Tail Moss edible?

No

### Is Cat's Tail Moss toxic?

None

### What is Cat's Tail Moss's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Cat's Tail Moss pollinated?

Water

### Where is Cat's Tail Moss usually found?

Forests

## Where to spot

- [Sitka National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sitka-national-historical-park) — US · National Park
- [Lynn Canyon Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lynn-canyon-park) — British Columbia, CA · Nature Reserve
- [Nitinat River Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nitinat-river-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

[View all places to see Cat's Tail Moss](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/cats-tail-moss)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

---

Source: [Cat's Tail Moss: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cats-tail-moss)