Scorpidium scorpioides

An oldie but a goodie, a fat, julaceous moss from a flush on the Isle of Mull - and the best moss name ever

Pterogonium gracile, Eildon Hills

A nice branched pleurocarp with a very neat leaf distruibution. When dry the leaves fold in to make a tidy imbricate string
 

Branching, maybe 1.5cm long here

 

Branch tip

Leaf at x60

Leaf tip

Leaf base

Zygodon viridissimus

D&G, NS8108, 19/10/2014

in the round

'jizz'

one branch/stem

whole leaves

leaf with propagules

leaf base

leaf tip

seta

propagule

Timpanum

Pogonatum aloides timpanum

Didymodon rigidulus dry

Nice and curly, slim, translucent and quite deep green.

Barbula sardoa

This has yet to be confirmed by an expert, but it looks good to me. Note how the leaf margins stay wavy even under a microscope slide. From D&G. Everything on this plant is papillose!

Rhizomnium punctatum

From the Cullaloe Hills again, this species is one that always appeals under magnification.

Bryum pseudotriquetrum from Cullaloe LNR

A few pics from the vaults - well, from 1st March anyway. The last two were in the bundle when it got to the slide. I can't be absolutely sure whether it relates to this plant or not, or even what it is exactly. Looks too complex for protonema.

Bryum pseudotriquetrum 

Barbula unguiculata

Found this on a wall in Inverkeithing harbour and was delighted to see the bearded capsules. Papillose and opaque, the small yellowish-green leaves have a strong nerve, slightly excurrent. By breathing into my hand while holding it I could see the beard extend, until I decided to go the whole hog and dunk it into a drop of water, upon which it fully extended - a superb way of controlling spore dispersal so that spores are only sent out into benign conditions.

Barbula factoids:
Barbula genus is in the Pottiales
Barbula of old has been largely split into Barbula, Didymodon and Pseudocrossidium genii
Barbula unguiculata has small (<2mm), papillose, opaque leaves with a strong, excurrent nerve
Barbula unguiculata leaves have revolute margins
Barbula unguiculata likes neutral-base habitats like path edges or old walls
Barbula unguiculata has a largely erect capsule on a red seta
Barbula convoluta has a more percurrent nerve, and leaves generally not exceeding 1.5mm
Barbula convoluta has less revolute leaf margins than unguiculata
Barbula sardoa is more robust and darker green than unguiculata and has wavy leaf margins

 

Just for the beauty, pt. I - Plagiomnium rostratum

Ulota phyllantha at Cullaloe LNR

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.

Ulota phyllantha