The one that looks like a tiny green sun has stems that are short and upright, with leaves that radiate outward in a flat, star-shaped rosette. When wet, the leaves are bright green and spread flat, creating a perfect green star on the ground. When dry, the leaves curl up and twist, turning greyish-brown and shrivelled, looking like a dead, brown rosette. It is the moss of the resurrection, the one that wakes up with the rain and plays dead when the sun returns. What makes it special is the resurrection. Star moss is one of the most drought-tolerant mosses in New Zealand. It can survive months of dry weather, shrivelling up and appearing completely dead. But within minutes of rain, the leaves absorb water, unfurl, and turn bright green. It is the moss of the Lazarus act, the one that comes back from the dead with every storm, the one that proves that nothing is ever truly gone. The leaves are broad at the base and taper to a sharp point, with a distinctive, white, hair-like tip (awn) that extends beyond the leaf tip. These awns help reflect sunlight and trap moisture, protecting the leaf from drying out. The leaf surface is covered in tiny, papillose bumps that give it a rough, textured appearance. Under a hand lens, the white awns are visible, tiny glassy threads extending from each leaf tip. Biologically, the star moss reproduces by spores, released from capsules on tall stalks. It grows in dry, exposed habitats, on rock outcrops, limestone banks, and disturbed ground. To find star moss is to find the tiny green stars on the dry rock. They are greyish-brown and shrivelled when dry, bright green and star-shaped when wet. You can watch them resurrect, can see the leaves unfurl, can witness the moss come back to life. It is the moss of the resurrection, the one that wakes up when it rains and plays dead when it does not, the one that proves that life is always waiting for the right moment.