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plant/algae identification- friend or foe



Yesterday, a friend at the LFS showed me a piece of driftwood covered with a
beautiful plant which looked like a soft, very short, very slightly clumping
moss.  I assumed it was an algae but have never seen it before.  It is
bright green and looks like velvet. Little short strands poked out here and
there but not many and not long.  It didn't look like the cladophora I know
and hate (longer wiry, branching thin dark filaments) but was closer to the
appearance of the cladophora balls.  It was not a dark green though, it was
a bright green, shorter and definitely attached to the wood.  The driftwood
was in a standard fish only tank with no live plants, extra light, CO2, etc.
It had been in there between 6-8 months and was quite healthy.  It had put
out spores a month or so previously and he said those spores had attached to
some big rocks that were no longer in the tank but not the gravel, glass or
plastic plants.   I suggested he put a low light plant in there beside it
and see if it jumped over to infest it.

The only description I recall that sounded anything like this was a plant
Karen Randall had about 2 years ago on some driftwood.  I think it was a
cladophora.

Initially, when I saw a cute little clump of green on the Flourite in my
tank and let it go, I started a 2 year battle with cladophora.  Therefore, I
wasn't about to bring this stuff home to infest my tank until I knew more
about it!  I would really like to get this stuff started on my driftwood if
it is "safe".

Does the description mean anything to anyone?

Thanks as always!

Daphne