Reindeer moss

Reindeer moss (Cladonia rangiferina), type of lichen commonly found in the Arctic. It is a principal food source for reindeer, moose, caribou, and musk oxen; in northern Scandinavia people have used it to make bread and alcohol. A short, multibranched plant that covers vast areas sufficient to feed large herds of grazing mammals, it grows more rapidly during the spring and fall months, aided by cool temperatures and high levels of humidity.