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

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!

Syntrichia ruralis

This delightful moss was picked up from the ground, again in Inverkeithing harbour, where it grew with other mosses on a concrete base of a demolished building. At first I thought it might be ruraliformis but had to accept in the end that it probably wasn't (see factoids below). It is at least ruralis S.L. I now realise the leaf tip shots I took are on another camera!

Syntrichia factoids
Syntrichia is a genus in the Pottiales
Syntrichia is a genus which was formed when several species were "pulled out" from Tortula
Syntrichia ruralis has a toothed, hyaline/silvery hairpoint
Syntrichia ruralis has leaves which are c5mm in length, papillose at the tip, and have recurved margins
Syntrichia ruralis leaves curve away from the stem when moist, but twist when dry
Syntrichia ruralis likes calcareous substrates
Syntrichia ruralis susbsp. ruraliformis leaves have a more acutely tapering leaf below the hairpoint

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