Final answer:
The statement is false; the green patches of moss seen in the woods are the gametophyte stage, not the sporophytes. The gametophyte is the persistent and visible part of the moss, whereas the sporophyte is a smaller component that depends on the gametophyte.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the conspicuous green patches of mosses that we see in the woods are mostly sporophytes is false. In fact, these green patches are primarily the gametophyte stage of the moss life cycle. Mosses have a life cycle that involves an alternation of generations, which includes the haploid gametophyte and the diploid sporophyte. The gametophyte is the more prominent and persistent form, being the leafy, green structure we commonly observe.
It is upon this stage that the sporophyte develops, often visible as a slender stalk with a capsule at the end, known as the sporangium, where spores are produced. The sporophyte is dependent on the gametophyte for nutrients and is not the primary structure that we see when looking at a moss patch.