Mosses & lichen ID - wild guesses

[Mark Tulley]

Good Evening,
I thought this forum was only Wildflowers, but I see it includes 'plants' so I will offer my latest finds. We walked in the Birks of Aberfeldy on Sunday, no flowers but found about ten varieties of mosses. My books are very limited so I am struggling with IDs. I brought small samples home and have now pressed them after more photos.
This looks lie a liverwort to me - perhaps Plagiochila asplenoides. Also I am fairly certain of Thuidum tamariscium, the Tamarisk-leaved Feather Moss on the right. Also possibly Polytricum formosum, the Bank Hair Moss on the left
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ar...s/P1010024.jpg
Next is a very wet moss, tentatively Isopterygium elegans, Elegant Feather Moss
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ar...s/P1010031.jpg
And finally another Feather Moss which I can't even guess at.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ar...s/P1010029.jpg

I might go looking for a Mosses & Liverworts book - any recommendations ?

Thanks for any help offered.
Happy hunting,
Mark

[oxycera]

British Mosses and Liverworts E V Watson
This classic volume remains the best introductory book on British bryophytes, and covers most of the commoner species. Whilst the nomenclature is rather out of date, it remains an invaluable book for beginners. (3rd Edition, 1981, CUP, ISBN 0521285364)

[haematocephalus]

There are some excellent resources on the British Bryological Society website:
British Bryological Society

For example, click on their link to "BBS Field Guide" (scroll down the page a bit, it's on the left) and then click on "keys".

Elsewhere on the site there are good photos, recording info, and lots of other stuff.

Martin


Martin Harvey
Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Environmental Records Centre

[Mark Tulley]

Sorry, I screwed up on the photos - trying again
This looks lie a liverwort to me -

Next,tentatively Isopterygium elegans

And finally another Feather Moss


I have just printed out the BBS key and will have a go with it tomorrow - thanks for the book help.
Any comments on the photos which I hope are now visible ?

[RobSutton]

There's this smashing little booklet that, I think, originally was done to help NVC surveyors in Scottish woodlands so it should be ideal for your needs. I might be wrong on why it was produced but I've found it useful when helping people get to grips with common woodland mosses & liverworts.

Bryophytes of Native Woods: A Field Guide to the Common Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland's Woodlands

Carol L Crawford
40 pages, col photos, tabs.
The Natural Resource Consultancy

Softcover | Edition 3 | 2002 | £7.50

ISBN-10: 0954379500

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Mark Tulley

Sorry, I screwed up on the photos - trying again
This looks lie a liverwort to me -

Next,tentatively Isopterygium elegans

And finally another Feather Moss


I have just printed out the BBS key and will have a go with it tomorrow - thanks for the book help.
Any comments on the photos which I hope are now visible ?

I'd try looking at Plagiothecium undulatum for the second (if its the very pale one you want to know) and Rhytidiadelphus loreus for the last one. Best to treat them as tentative ID's at the moment, the photos (nice as they are of course) don't have quite enough sharpness to be dead certain.

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

Bryophytes of Native Woods: A Field Guide to the Common Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland's Woodlands

Carol L Crawford

I bought this one from Summerfield Books a couple of years ago, along with another helpful introductory booklet:

"Mosses & Liverworts of Woodland: A Guide to Some of the Commonest Species" by A. R. Perry

Ken

[goosey]

What actually is the difference between mosses and liverworts?

[Mark Tulley]

Well, from my book, Liverworts are either composed of flattened frond called the thallus which is undifferentiated into stem/leaves or, in the case of leafy liverworts, the leaves usually divided into segments and lack a midrib or nerve.
Mosses have stem and leaves, usually arranged spirally. (From Observer's Book of Mosses & Liverworts by A Jewel 1955).

Thanks, Rob, for your IDs. I used my new Panasonic FZ18 which I find very good, but the light was moderate and I didn't use a tripod.

Happy weekend everyone.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Mark Tulley

Well, from my book, Liverworts are either composed of flattened frond called the thallus which is undifferentiated into stem/leaves or, in the case of leafy liverworts, the leaves usually divided into segments and lack a midrib or nerve.
Mosses have stem and leaves, usually arranged spirally. (From Observer's Book of Mosses & Liverworts by A Jewel 1955).

Thanks Mark - thats worth knowing. I have only recently discovered the beauty of lichens, liverworts and mosses - what a mine field to ID.