Jo Wilbraham

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!

The 'algal gloop' here growing on a nice garden wall of mixed mosses. Will be interesting to keep an eye on this. Microscopy revealed one dominate green alga, rapidly reproducing. These particular algae v difficult to identity!

Pulvigera lyelii, lower leaves dusted with brown gemmae

Syntrichia papillosa - each leaf piled with a heap of gemmae

I was admiring the luxuriance of South London bryophyte epiphytes yesterday. Street trees carpeted in Syntrichia papillosa; huge cushions of Pulvigera lyelii... some nice species diversity but also saw 'algal gloop' smothering wall top mosses. Nitrogen pollution impacting in different ways.

Oh fantastic! Haley mentioned you were visiting in Jan but hadn't clocked date.

I love these posters Astrid! Created by Barbara Nicholson in the 1970s, commissioned by Natural History Museum. I found the seaweed one and have that up in the algae herbarium.

Thanks Tim, glad you like the book. Fantastic to see 'Mosses' out in the wild!

Fern specimens in the Natural History Museum London

JOB KLAXAN!
Just in time for Christmas, we are advertising a curatorial role in the Cryptogamic Herbarium, NHM London. Curator of Ferns! Details in link here (closing date 18/01/2026):

jobs.nhm.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

Sign the petition to end peat sales! No more delays: Let's get peat out of gardens once and for all. The time for uncertainty has ended.

Sign the petition asking the Government to finally end peat compost sales with legislation in 2026 - no more delays. It’s been a long and tiring road to get peat compost banned and we need your signatures and shares now more than ever to get it done. actnow.peatfreepartnership.org.uk/end-peat-sal...

Very mossy woodland

Very mossy woodland

What a delight to visit fragments of temperate rainforest on Dartmoor. These fragile and fragmented habitats were once much more extensive. Dripping with both rain and bryophytes.

Collage of scenery from the Taiwan mountain site we visited, with luscious mosses and scenic waterfalls

I was so happy to attend the International Association of Bryologists conference in Taiwan last week - Organised by the Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute and the Taiwan Bryological Society. Interesting presentations, good chat, and some time to get into the mountains to mingle with moss 💚

Journeying home from a fantastic @bbsbryology.bsky.social meeting this weekend - interesting to visit Thorne Moors, an area ravaged by industrial peat extraction which ceased in early 2000s. Conservation management in the region now focused on rewilding and restoring precious peatlands.

Bottom trawling to continue in English protected waters, government rules Defra says blanket ban on ‘destructive’ fishing practice disproportionate as MPs urge minister to reconsider

This is infuriating. What is the point of a Marine Protected Area if trawlers are allowed to keep ploughing it?
Yet again, the government has succumbed to commercial lobbying.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Summertime on the allotment 💚

Thanks George for your kind comments. I worked really hard on the book, though doing the research was a joy! I found it really interesting to navigate at that higher taxonomic level and it meant I ended up looking into obscure genera that turned up interesting perspectives!

Hi Kathleen - wow thank you so much. I've never been on ticktock but that sounds great. I hope the book helps spread some love and awareness for our favourite plants!

A magnificently illustrated guide to the bryophyte species found across the world.

Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts of the World by Joanna Wilbraham is out now. Learn more and order your copy of this fascinating book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

It's publication day for Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts of the World!

Immerse yourself in the miniature world of these fascinating plants, delve into their evolutionary past and look ahead to what might be in store for their future.

More details at: shorturl.at/Zmtfe

Stands of Fucus serratus (jagged edge) and Fucus vesiculosus (paired bladders) on the white sands of the Brittany coast #Seaweeds

Leucobryum cushions in humid Oak woodland

Leucobryum cushions in humid Oak woodland

Leucobryum cushions in humid Oak woodland

Mossy humid Oak woodland

Dense mounds of Leucobryum moss - a joy to see on our walk through humid Oak woodland today 💚

A magnificently illustrated guide to the bryophyte species found across the world

An unprecedented in-depth look at these exquisitely beautiful and often overlooked organisms.

Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts of the World publishes August 5. Learn more: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco... @jowilbraham.bsky.social‬

Here's a little tour of the seaweed herbarium which is a major component of the diverse NHM algal collections. It's an awesome place to work!
www.instagram.com/reel/Cwic_sh...

Curator, Algae :South Kensington

New job posting!! We are currently hiring for a new Curator in the Natural History Museum London's Cryptogamic Herbarium. This role will focus around the amazing algae collections ❤️

See link for further info:
jobs.nhm.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

@nhm-london.bsky.social

And so ends a magnificent week mossing around Frieberg and the Black Forest!

Huge thanks to Michael @milueth.bsky.social for leading our excursion and sharing some very special places and plants with us.

- BBS excursion to SW Germany @bbsbryology.bsky.social

Schistidium confusum, possibly

Schistidium confusum, possibly

Sweeping views from our lunch spot

Today we lunched amongst castle ruins home to four Schistidium species. A good chance to compare, contrast and be confused by this tricky genus.

- BBS excursion to SW Germany @bbsbryology.bsky.social

Ptychostomum (Bryum) schleicheri

Bryum weigelii

Flushes with marsh marigolds

The snowy peak!

Today, we bryologised atop Feldberg, Germany's highest (after the Alps..) mountain at 1400m. Many wonderful species, with Ptychostomum (Bryum) schleicheri and Bryum weigelii looking particularly sensational.
- BBS spring meeting in the Black Forest
@bbsbryology.bsky.social

Fantastic to see SO MANY Grimmia species on our trip around SW Germany. These cushions are Grimmia montana. Apparently the female plants of this species (quite rare) typically form more rounded cushions than the flatter males...
@bbsbryology.bsky.social

Bryum alpinum in a suitably alpine habitat today up near a ski resort - very nice

Spent a lovely morning on the Rhine pottering over river rocks with three species of Cinclidotus and riverside trees with many nice epiphytes such as this Dialytrichia mucronata
@bbsbryology.bsky.social BBS Spring Meeting SW Germany

Today we hiked into the Black Forest on a quest to find Mielichhoferia mielichhoferiana - an ellusive moss restricted to rocks laden with heavy metals @bbsbryology.bsky.social Spring Meeting SW Germany

First day of the BBS meeting in the Schwarzwald region of southern Germany - moss highlight for me was luxorious Rhytidium rugosum in the chalk grassland
@bbsbryology.bsky.social