More moss

A rare bit of sun and I was out like a shot.

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.

Tortula muralis capsules - old and new

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.

1) The thallose liverwort Conocephalum conicum
2) The moss Plagiomnium undulatum
3) The liverwort Plagiochila porelloides

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.

Mosses

Mosses are good at the moment, with many showing spore capsules which can often aid identification. Mosses require close attention to detail, with microscopic analysis generally being required for a first identification. Once you have your eye in, though, many can be identified readily in the field.

First, I have Bryum capillare, which I find mostly on wall tops, although it can also be found on verges:
Next, the capsule of Tortula muralis which is another wall-top moss:

Hookeria lucens is very easily recognised, and always grows on the walls of ditches.

The individual leaf-cells are huge, and can almost be seen with the naked eye. The top shoot here is about 6 mm. across.

Fissidens cristatus has fascinating leaves arranged in an overlapping fan:

Notice the darker portion to one half of each leaf. This is a double layer of cells that form a pocket, presumably for water retention. Individual leaves about 3 mm. long:

Thiudium tamariscinum grows on the trunks of trees:

Plagiomnium undulatum grows on the rear of ditches:

Mosses can be very beautiful and will repay your attention and research. As a man once said to me: "You have to get down to their level". How true.