What is Sea moss?-- Another "mystery plant" used in model railway scenery

[Deborah A Lewis]

What a coincidence!  In the same week that Börge Pettersson asks us about 
Sea moss for use in model railway scenery, I was brought a sample for id of 
the dried inflorescences (or rather infructescences, as it's past 
flowering) of a flowering plant that are used the same way.  Those of us 
who've looked at it here all agree that it's probably something in the 
Caryophyllidae.  The infructescence is at least up to 15 cm long (and 
possibly these are branches of an even larger one) a panicle of dichasia, 
reminiscent of that of Gypsophila, but with tiny flowers.  There are five 
minute sepals and an even smaller black, hard fruit that has a medial 
suture (circumcissile capsule? didn't manage to get one opened). The few 
dried-up leaves look to be strap-shaped, narrowing to the base, sessile, 
entire, and estipulate. Supposedly the plants were shipped from Norway, but 
that may not be where they were grown. Can anyone help, even with genus or 
family?  Many thanks --

Deb Lewis
At 09:29 AM 11/02/1999 +0100, Börge Pettersson 
<Borge.Pettersson at CBM.SLU.SE> wrote:
>Dear all,
>What is Sea Moss that is used by railway model builders to make trees? I
>believe that Irish Moss is another name for the same material.
>Many thanks in advance for any hint.
>Börge Pettersson
>
>---------------------------------------------------------
>   Börge Pettersson
>   Centrum för biologisk mångfald (CBM)
>   Box 7007                            Tel: 018-67 27 44
>   750 07 Uppsala                      Fax: 018-67 34 80
>                        http://www.cbm.slu.se/borpet.htm
>                         Besöksadress: Bäcklösavägen 10A
>                     E-post: Borge.Pettersson at cbm.slu.se
>
>   Boerge Pettersson
>   Swedish Biodiversity Centre
>   Box 7007                         Tel: +46-18 67 27 44
>   SE-750 07 Uppsala                Fax: +46-18 67 34 80
>   Sweden            http://www.cbm.slu.se/borpeteng.htm
>                     Visiting address: Backlosavagen 10A
>                     E-mail: Borge.Pettersson at cbm.slu.se
>---------------------------------------------------------

Deborah Q. Lewis, Curator
Ada Hayden Herbarium                         E-mail: dlewis at iastate.edu
Department of Botany                               Phone: [1] 515-294-9499
Iowa State University                                   FAX:  [1] 515-294-1337
Ames, IA  50011-1020