Unidentified moss?

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

You may well be right with Polytrichum juniperinum in this photo. The photo isn't crisp enough for me to be sure either way, not being much of a moss man myself. I was just offering another alternative.

It's probably about as appropriate to try to identify mosses from a photo as it is to try to identify mushrooms. Largely it's just an educated guess and you really don't have all the information you need to make the identification.

I always counsel against it... but then find myself having a go anyway. But it's fun to have a go nevertheless and the forum would be a lot less interesting without the discussions on unidentified specimens.

Ken

I'd certainly agree with all of that, in real life you use all sorts of clues that you just can't get from a photo. The other problem I have is that I'm generally OK in the places and habitats I know but then someone sends in a photo and it could be from anywhere and I'm suddenly faced with a set of possibilities that I'm not 100% familiar with.

[NickCantle]

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

You may well be right with Polytrichum juniperinum in this photo. The photo isn't crisp enough for me to be sure either way
Ken

What is it with my photos? Use this, use that, not crisp enough

LOL, I jest, of course , and I must thank you both for the interesting debate. It's definitely a species I've seen alot, so I might do some further research. I'll try and get you some crisp images asap