Marimo

  Marimos (毬藻, Aegagropila linnaei) are about as simple a plant you can have. They are a species of algae found in lakes in Iceland and Japan, among other places. You can buy them from pet shops as Moss Balls (beware of 'fakes', ie. balls of moss) and are content with occasional change of water.

Turns out Cognac glasses are perfect for displaying Marimo.

Being skilled in killing plant life, I made myself a few artificial Marimo to alleviate the potential emotional scarring of losing the live one.

As with many things, the Japanese have a mascot also for Marimo, called Marimokkori. And as with many things Japanese, it makes you raise an eyebrow.