A warning to those who go killing the moss
Your Karma will come, because Nature Is Boss
You will also incite The Bryologist’s Curse,
which will make the whole business considerably worse!

Little Paxton Pits yesterday. Drepanocladus aduncus at pool edge- a rain fed ephemeral pond.

Bright green moss (bryophyte) growing in a damp, semi-shaded woodland swamp on a rotting log near a brook. The shoots are flattened and glossy, approximately 50 mm long and up to about 7 mm wide, looking almost as if pressed in a flower book. Leaves are large for a moss (around 1.5–3 mm), oval with blunt tips, translucent, and without a central nerve (costa). Under the microscope the leaf cells are unusually large and easy to see. Several dark, stout spore capsules were present. Under the microscope one capsule (spore case) had lost its lid and showed a neat ring of curved outer teeth with finer inner structures just inside (a double peristome). Initially mistaken for a leafy liverwort because of its flat appearance, but under the microscope tiny leaves could be seen arranged around the stem, it was not as two-dimensional as it first appeared. #moss #bryophyte

Bright green moss (bryophyte) growing in a damp, semi-shaded woodland swamp on a rotting log near a brook. The shoots are flattened and glossy, approximately 50 mm long and up to about 7 mm wide, looking almost as if pressed in a flower book. Leaves are large for a moss (around 1.5–3 mm), oval with blunt tips, translucent, and without a central nerve (costa). Under the microscope the leaf cells are unusually large and easy to see. Several dark, stout spore capsules were present. Under the microscope one capsule (spore case) had lost its lid and showed a neat ring of curved outer teeth with finer inner structures just inside (a double peristome). Initially mistaken for a leafy liverwort because of its flat appearance, but under the microscope tiny leaves could be seen arranged around the stem, it was not as two-dimensional as it first appeared. #moss #bryophyte

It was worth standing in a swamp half-way up my wellies to see this, Shining Hookeria (Hookeria lucens).

I made the classic beginner’s mistake of thinking it was a liverwort at first. It’s actually a beautiful moss.

tinyurl.com/2ufm4tnj

Isn't the Lewinskya a debracketing for Cumberland?

Looks quite big. Maybe Plagiochila asplenioides?

A common, but beautiful species: Funaria hygrometrica Hedw., with young sporophytes.

Location: Santa Caterina valley, Montgrí massif, 80 m. a.s.l., province of Girona, NE Spain. Growing on disturbed soil next to an artificial pond, February 2026.

#bryophytes #mosses

Sphagnum cuspidatum portrait #moss #bryophyte

Marble Screw-moss (Syntrichia papillosa) growing abundantly on old blackthorn (?) branches. Found in the same location as the last post. 🌱

Close up inspection of the leaves clearly shows the gemmae (which are apparently baby mosses!) on the leaves.

@bbsbryology.bsky.social

#mosses #bryophytes

Neat little cushion of Orthotrichum tenellum

Two cushions of Orthotrichum tenellum on street tree

Leaf of Orthotrichum tenellum under the microscope

Another street tree epiphyte that's becoming more common in London - Orthotrichum tenellum forms small neat cushions with notably long capsules and calyptra. The leaf tips also have a distinctive beak at the end. Another bryophyte taking advantage of the cleaner air!

One or two recent mosses from Felbrigg - Revolute Beard-moss (Pseudocrossidium revolutum), Elegant Silk-moss (Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans), Aloe Haircap capsules (Pogonatum aloides) & Swan's-neck Thyme-moss (Mnium hornum) @norfolknats.bsky.social

Four common #mosses from my area (Kicin, western Poland): Plagiomnium affine, Polytrichum formosum, Atrichum undulatum, and Dicranum cf. scoparium.
#mchy #Bryophyta #bryophytes #mszaki #bryology #mossfriends

Sphagnum quinquefarium orange and red variants #moss #bryophyte

Frullania dilatata. Kicin, Wielkopolska (western Poland).
#liverworts #wątrobowce #Marchantiophyta #Bryophytes #mszaki #bryology

Platydictya jungermanoides, growing infront of two Caves in the Wye valley Gorge last Saturday, lovely species and habitat @bbsbryology.bsky.social

Platydictya jungermanoides,purple Rhizoids in last pic.

Marchesinia mackaii (MacKay's Pouncewowort) or rock treacle as I call it,on the Limestone Outcrops in the Wye valley Gorge last weekend @bbsbryology.bsky.social

Anomodon longifolius (Long-leaved Tail-moss) on the Carboniferous limestone outcrops at Lady park wood in the Wye valley Gorge last Saturday @bbsbryology.bsky.social

Size difference between Anomodon longifolius (top) & Anomodon viticulosus (bottom) .

Detall de la càpsula de GRIMMIA PULVINATA, fotografiada a la Plana d'Ancosa. #briòfits #molses

Tortula protobryoides

Seligeria calycina

Bryum torquescens

Lovely day out in North Hants today in the company of @pilkyplant.bsky.social , Billy from @hantsbic.bsky.social and others at Ladle Hill. Very few records for bryophytes before but there was plenty of interest including Tortula protobryoides, Seligeria calycina and Bryum torquescens.

𝘍𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 Hedw.

📍 Río Eifonso

Abietinella abietina - scarce pleurocarp moss and indicator of high-quality calcareous grassland. St Catherine's Hill. It looks like a mini fir tree and is pale green with browner marking in middle and lower parts

Aloina aloides - growing on gravel alongside a path in Winchester city centre. This tiny moss has leaves arranged in a star shape. The leaves are fleshy-looking, and opaque

Scleropodium cespitans - growing on hard substrate in Winchester city centre. Looks completely different when hydrated compared to when dry. It typically grows in extensive, almost pure, dense, usually low and fairly flat patches. The curved, or even arched branches often lie in the same direction, forming thick mats. Shoots are typically 1–2 cm long. The moss is green and looks like it is platted.

Rue-leaved Saxifrage - young plants appearing in pavement cracks around Winchester. Each leaf looks like it has three toes/fingers

Our Billy is exploring Winchester and noting #PavementPlants and mosses! Rue-leaved Saxifrage starting to appear, Scleropodium cespitans, Aloina aloides in the city and Abietinella abietina on St Catherine's Hill
@bbsbryology.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Rhodobryum huillense (Welw. & Duby) Touw
Venezuela, Andes, Merida, surrounding Laguna Coromoto, Upper cloud forest, on rotten stump, 2550 m, leg M. Lüth 3313
Looks a bit like R. grandifolium, but plants and leaves are much smaller.

Image: Field Museum scientist Matt von Konrat examining dried moss collected in 2013 in a botanical survey as part of a homicide investigation. Credit: courtesy of Field Museum.

Solving mysteries with moss

New paper examines the history of using moss as evidence in forensic cases

buff.ly/pLM9RzL via Field Museum #PlantScience

Well I think it's one of those two....but they can be tricky!

More lovely Sphagnum. The green-yellow S strictum heads look like little fluffy animals to me

Cololejeunea calcarea (rock pouncewort) growing on limestone in this lovely woodland last week. Cluain na mbinne, Gaillimh

Three nice #liverworts from Zielonka Forest, Wielkopolska (western Poland). Metzgeria furcata, Frullania dilatata, and Radula complanata.
#Marchantiophyta #wątrobowce #Bryophytes #mszaki #bryology