Horton Plains cloud forest moss epiphytes: Usnea barbata lichen and cloud-water interception?

The stunted montane cloud forests of Horton Plains (2,100m elevation) are characterized by gnarled Syzygium revolutum and Rhodomyrtus parviflora trees festooned with epiphytic bryophytes and pendulous lichens (predominantly Usnea barbata, known as "old man's beard"). These organisms lack true root systems; instead, their branching thalli maximize surface area to capture microscopic droplets from horizontal cloud mist blowing across the plateau. The spongy moss cushions absorb up to five times their dry weight in water, which gradually drips down to replenish the peat bogs that feed Sri Lanka’s major river headwaters.