The first drops do not add pigment to moss. They let contracted leaves unfurl. Olive, Dark Olive Green, and Olive Drab describe the dry mat before that change, when its surface appears compact, muted, and closer to the color of the bark or stone beneath it.
Moisture returns the upper growth to Yellow Green and Forest Green. Dark Green remains in the crowded hollows where stems overlap and little light reaches the base. Mossy green is therefore a small weather event recorded across one living surface.
