Mosses, Lichens, Liverworts etc: under-recorded groups

[Chris Johnson]

Two old pictures

"Lichenized" trees and two friends!

That's amazing ... suggestive of quite a damp climate. 

[ian mcdonald]

The tree lichens remind me of the far north west.

[johnw]

Yesterday Jiri, Ludmila, Ken and I meandered round the coastal headlands/heathlands near Halifax, Nova Scotia and nearby spots. Some of the lichens I found along the way.

First on a whale bone that has been in the same spot in Peggy's Cove since I was a child. And the big rock against which it leans

john

[johnw]

On to Polly Cove where we had a great long walk over the headlands and spied many a fine lichen.

john

[johnw]

More in Polly Cove, Nova Scotia.

john

[Maggi Young]

Ian M. did the right thing in opening this thread  for sure -  mosses and lichens are so often  over-looked  yet they are so very interesting - not to mention decorative.

[johnw]

Ian M. did the right thing in opening this thread  for sure -  mosses and lichens are so often  over-looked  yet they are so very interesting - not to mention decorative.

I heartily agree and perhaps with his permission we could rename the thread as such.  Also easier to find!

john

[Maggi Young]

I heartily agree and perhaps with his permission we could rename the thread as such.  Also easier to find!

john

That's a good idea - hope he'll agree.

[johnw]

Missed attaching this glorious little garden on a weathered piece of wood that we found along the roadside in Tantallon, Nova Scotia.  A nice souvenir for Ludmila to take home.  We had stopped to find Epigaea repens, Ken found the first sheet of it then we noticed tens of thousands of British Soliders all along the roadside.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

Following John W's suggestion, and with Ian M's  help, we're re-naming this thread  to make its subject  more obvious.

 

[ian mcdonald]

An excellent book for budding Bryologists is Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland, a field guide. Published by the British Bryological Society. We could do with an equivalent guide for Lichens. The one I have contains black and white photos which are a bit dated.

[Chris Johnson]

An excellent book for budding Bryologists is Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland, a field guide. Published by the British Bryological Society. We could do with an equivalent guide for Lichens. The one I have contains black and white photos which are a bit dated.

An excellent introduction to Lichens is 'Lichens of Ireland' by Paul Whelen. Although restricted to the more common species it still covers 250 and is well illustrated. It also has pointers to help with identification. Most of the species depicted are found in the UK as a whole.

[ian mcdonald]

Img. 1000613 is Pleurozia purpurea, a liverwort. The common name is purple spoonwort. To my un-tutored eyes it looked like a compact moss.

[Tim Ingram]

What a fascinating thread Ian - a whole new world. Don't really know these Lower Plants at all well (apart from the frustration of liverworts and mosses on old seed pots!). This is the bark on a Plane Tree in Battersea Car Park right next to the Thames, but the best lichened trees I have ever seen must be a row next to the river at Beddgelert in Snowdonia - unfortunately I only have slides.

[ian mcdonald]

Good picture Tim. The yellow one may be a Xanthoria. Lichens, and for that matter, mosses, are not my subject but they are interesting to look at. The Field Studies Council have several good charts dealing with the more common species of different branches of Natural History.