Mosses are not easy to identify, but over the past few years, I've taken up the challenge and gotten pretty decent on a few of them. Unlike the situation with wildflowers, bryophytes have more modest field characteristics and this makes life trickier for naturalists. But some of the mosses can be reasonably distinctive... well, sometimes. One thing to look for, if it's present, is the spore-carrying capsule carried by the alternating generation of the moss known as the sporophyte. The spore-bearing capsules often have a diagnostic shape and form, and in one group of mosses, the capsules can be quite hairy. The genus Polytrichum has the common name of Haircap Moss, and the picture shows why. There are other characteristics, too, but the presence of pubescent is a Polytrichum giveaway... and a way to establish taxonomic credibility and amazement on any public walk.