Fontinalis pyratica, Greater Water Moss

Hard to imagine how I (and an entire BBS outing!) managed to overlook the abundant aquatic moss on the burn. But they did and I did for many years. Now it's on the list though - at bryophyte species #100. Hoorah!

Marchantia polymorpha

A liverwort often seen in greenhouses and garden paths, this one is living happily on the edges of the main footpath to the hide

Bryo bits bonus

A quick tour at lunchtime on a beautiful day turned up some nice rewards. First up a pass over a ditch for some known species produced liverworts Diplophyllum albicans and Calypogeia arguta that I knew were there, before rolling a log to uncover a nice Brown Centipede in the woodland. Also picked up a millipede which I probably have previously recorded, but not this year. I also uncovered Plagiothecium undulatum in a place I didn't spot it before.

Diplophyllum abicans

Plagiothecium undulatum

Quick look at the water showed it was pretty but unproductive, before I dropped into a small corner that is building a reputation for providing surprises. It certainly did this time with a new liverwort. How did I not notice before Lunularia cruciata! With this area having Pellia endivifolia and Conocephalum conicum, I probably just assumed that green patch was one of those.

Lunularia cruciata

Pellia endivifolia

A small swarm of flies (Nematocera. Winter gnats?) were dancing in the dappled sunlight under the pines and I managed to catch one in my collecting box by sweeping up through them and shutting the lid quickly. Hopefully this will produce an identification.

Dancing flies in the winter sun

Strange new moss

Another new moss for me at Cullaloe - two in January! What's strange about it is that it was Ceratodon purpureus. I didn't even take a photo since it's one of the most common mosses in the country. It was only this morning that I discovered I had no record of it at Cullaloe

186 species for the year, total bryophytes all time up to 86.

Frullania dilitata

Very cute little liverwort, and fairly common too.

Cross posting bryophyte

A new species for me and for the reserve - found it in a couple of places. Interesting in the field, but even more so under the microscope. Creeping towards 100 bryophytes for CLNR!

Ulota phyllantha

Plagiomnium rostratum

This one was hiding amidst Lophocolea bidentata at the base of the wall in compartment 8

The alien landscape of Frullania fruticulosa

This little liverwort is a weird looking thing, especially close up. Here's what it looks like on a tree, and then a selection of microscope views. The leaf cells close up look like some kind of antique glassware.

Hygroamblystegium tenax

While the spring dallies, there are still more mosses to add to the Cullaloe list. Further digging around the spillway produces a riparian species in the form of Hygroamblystegium tenax. It lives on the spillway walls where it must sometimes be submerged but mostly not.

Hygroamblystegium tenax, Fountain Feather-moss

BBS Field Guide page

Life in the splash zone

Strongly nerved leaves to the tip

Under the microscope

Lightly toothed margin separates from species fluviatile

Kneiff's Feather-moss

With a record from 1974, this is one I've wanted to catch up with, and it turned out to be one I've eyed with suspicion for a while but not ID'd. Pulled from the rocks in the burn, this dingy moss closes the gap on species recorded but not seen by me at Cullaloe.

Leaves c2mm, margins entire, cells c. 3 times as long as wide, nerved to beyond half way but not to tip

Leptodictyum riparium, Kneiff's Feather-moss

BBS Field Guide page

Weekend roundup

Made a foray into parts of the reserve that I haven't visited in over ten years, including 30 inches of water that I stuck my leg into. It was cold.

Found a new moss on the edge of the pond, Calliergon cordifolium, Heart-leaved Spear-moss, and took some pics of other previously discovered mosses which I had no pictures for (Big and Little Shaggy Moss!).

Lots of signs of vascular plants coming through, with green tips here, there and everywhere.

Calliergon cordifolium, Heart-leaved Spear-moss

BBS Field Guide page

Scapania undulata, also from the 26th

After sharing my list my omission of Radula complanata and Sanionia uncinata have been corrected, and we're getting close to a compete list (which hasn't been finalised yet). Also missed were Bryum gemmiferum and pseudotriquetrum. At least one more species is in the lab awaiting analysis.

Thanks to SB, for whom here's the Scapania...

Scapania undulata, Water Earwort

26-01-2014

A few more mosses into the mix

Still processing my box of goodies from the 26th, from which there are a few additions today.

First out of the box is Aulacomnium palustre, a tall skinny moss with longish pale green leaves and a whole lot of tomentum on the stem - hand lens not required!

Aulacomnium palustre, Bog Bead-moss

BBS Field Guide page

Catherine's moss added to year list

A species I missed off the list from Sunday, but which I shall now add. One of those moments when you hope nobody was looking as it was originally mis-identified ... this is of course Atrichum undulatum, or Catherine's Moss. The leaves are not only toothed, but doubly so. On a naming note this is a rare occurrence of a moss with two English names, as it's also called Common Smoothcap (a-trichum = hairless).

Aulacomnium androgynum

Cute little guy with gemmae on a stick. Retrieved from the woodland - compartment 6

Aulacomnium androgynum

Bryophyte bonanza!

A recording meeting of bryologists gathered under the cloudy sky yesterday morning to "do" Cullaloe. Species were added thick and fast before we even left the car park area, and when we departed the day total stood at 72 with some packets still to be examined. Adding a list to iRecord from memory this morning I could only remember about 65, which still took the year total to 149. Not bad considering my target for January was 100, and my target for the year for bryophytes was set at a cautious 50. I hadn't factored in the borrowing of several pairs of eyes and some considerable expertise. Just as comforting was the discovery that I hadn't actually horribly misidentified anything thus far!

120    Calypogeia arguta, Notched Pouchwort
121    Frullania dilatata, Dilated Scalewort
122    Lophocolea bidentata, Bifid Crestwort
123    Metzgeria violacea, Blueish Veilwort
124    Pellia endiviifolia, Endive Pellia
125    Scapania undulata, Water Earwort
126    Amblystegium serpens, Creeping Feather-moss
127    Aulacomnium androgynum, Bud-headed Groove-moss
128    Barbula unguiculata, Bird's-claw Beard-moss
129    Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostrum   
130    Bryum argenteum, Silver-moss
131    Bryum dichotomum, A moss
132    Campylopus introflexus   
133    Didymodon rigidulus, Rigid Beard-moss
134    Didymodon tophaceus, Olive Beard-moss
135    Eurhynchium striatum, Common Striated Feather-moss
136    Fissidens bryoides, Lesser Pocket-moss
137    Homalothecium sericeum, Silky Wall Feather-moss
138    Orthotrichum cupulatum, Hooded Bristle-moss
139    Orthotrichum diaphanum, White-tipped Bristle-moss
140    Oxyrrhynchium hians, Swartz's Feather-moss
141    Racomitrium aciculare, Yellow Fringe-moss
142    Rhynchostegium murale, Wall Feather-moss
143    Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Little Shaggy-moss
144    Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Big Shaggy-moss
145    Schistidium crassipilum, Thickpoint Grimmia
146    Sciuro-hypnum populeum, Matted Feather-moss
147    Ulota crispa, Crisped Pincushion
148    Ulota drummondii, Drummond's Pincushion
149    Zygodon viridissimus, Green Yoke-moss

Coverage chart:

New species add - Diplophyllum albicans

On the banks of the ditch through compartment 6, this liverwort has a pale band running through the centre of the leaf, which has longer cells like a river between the more circular format of the outer leaf. Appears green in the image below but with a hand lens is more obvious depending on the angle of light.

Diplophyllum albicans, White Earwort

BBS Field Guide page

Mud-snorkelling mosses

Walked along the ditch in the woodland at lunchtime, turning up some new bryophytes: - Rhizomnium punctatum, Fissidens taxifolia (brand new), Pellia epiphylla  and another I haven't ID'd yet. I spent too long looking at one and almost lost a wellie.

Also overhead were some Pink-footed Geese in "Cullaloe airspace" (which includes everywhere I can see, bu tin this case they really were!)

Fissidens taxifolia, Great Pocket-moss

BBS Field Guide page