Wall-tops are the place to find a number of mosses including the very handsome Tortula muralis (guess where it got its specific name from).
Last year's capsules are still in place (those are the taller, brown ones), but if you look closely you can see the new ones emerging just above the leaves.
Liverworts are either 'thallose' (flat and ribbon-like) or 'leafy', and we have one of each in the shot above. The area in the shot is about 20mm across.
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| Tortula muralis capsules - old and new |
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| Emerging capsules of Tortula muralis |
To give some sense of scale, the new capsules are about 5mm long.
The rear walls of ditches are also rich in moisture-loving plants. The following shot shows at least two species of liverwort and one moss.
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| 1) The thallose liverwort Conocephalum conicum 2) The moss Plagiomnium undulatum 3) The liverwort Plagiochila porelloides |
You show such amazing pictures. You know, Ireland is the one place I've always wanted to visit. I'll make it there yet. What beautiful countrysides you have.
ReplyDeleteEmma: I'd advise you to bring wet-weather gear, especially to the west coast. btw, the image at the top of my blog pages is the view from my bedroom window.
ReplyDeleteNow I am jealous. Although I do have a nice view from my windows also.
ReplyDelete