A moss (bryophyte) forming a dense tuft on sandy ground in coastal grassland at Dawlish Warren. The colony is several centimetres across, made up of many upright shoots packed closely together. Each shoot carries narrow green leaves that taper to a fine, pale reddish hairpoint at the tip. In the first image the shoots stand fresh and bright, slightly waxy green, sheltered by taller plants; in another image some more exposed shoots appear much greyer and more curled, showing how the plant changes as it dries. The moss grows among short grasses and low herbs that thrive on nutrient-poor soil, including Buck’s-horn Plantain (Plantago coronopus), on sandy, well-drained ground close to the sea, in an exposed habitat with periodic drying and salt-laden wind. Under magnification, the leaves show parallel ridges (lamellae) running along their surface, a defining feature of haircap mosses (Polytrichum). The leaf tips show very small teeth near the apex, while the margins otherwise appear smooth (entire); the leaves are also strongly inrolled. These features are consistent with Juniper Haircap (Polytrichum juniperinum).

A moss (bryophyte) forming a dense tuft on sandy ground in coastal grassland at Dawlish Warren. The colony is several centimetres across, made up of many upright shoots packed closely together. Each shoot carries narrow green leaves that taper to a fine, pale reddish hairpoint at the tip. In the first image the shoots stand fresh and bright, slightly waxy green, sheltered by taller plants; in another image some more exposed shoots appear much greyer and more curled, showing how the plant changes as it dries. The moss grows among short grasses and low herbs that thrive on nutrient-poor soil, including Buck’s-horn Plantain (Plantago coronopus), on sandy, well-drained ground close to the sea, in an exposed habitat with periodic drying and salt-laden wind. Under magnification, the leaves show parallel ridges (lamellae) running along their surface, a defining feature of haircap mosses (Polytrichum). The leaf tips show very small teeth near the apex, while the margins otherwise appear smooth (entire); the leaves are also strongly inrolled. These features are consistent with Juniper Haircap (Polytrichum juniperinum).

A moss (bryophyte) forming a dense tuft on sandy ground in coastal grassland at Dawlish Warren. The colony is several centimetres across, made up of many upright shoots packed closely together. Each shoot carries narrow green leaves that taper to a fine, pale reddish hairpoint at the tip. In the first image the shoots stand fresh and bright, slightly waxy green, sheltered by taller plants; in another image some more exposed shoots appear much greyer and more curled, showing how the plant changes as it dries. The moss grows among short grasses and low herbs that thrive on nutrient-poor soil, including Buck’s-horn Plantain (Plantago coronopus), on sandy, well-drained ground close to the sea, in an exposed habitat with periodic drying and salt-laden wind. Under magnification, the leaves show parallel ridges (lamellae) running along their surface, a defining feature of haircap mosses (Polytrichum). The leaf tips show very small teeth near the apex, while the margins otherwise appear smooth (entire); the leaves are also strongly inrolled. These features are consistent with Juniper Haircap (Polytrichum juniperinum).

I think this is Juniper Haircap (Polytrichum juniperinum), it looks very capable of tolerating drought and salt-laden wind.

Dawlish Warren, sandy scrubby grass next to the beach, a couple of days ago.

#moss #bryophyte

Several moss-covered rocks on a forest floor covered with brown leaves.

A rock completely covered in a moss with wispy leaves that look like green hair.

Close up of a moss colony that looks like green hair with thin wispy strands.

Digital microscope image of moss leaves with very thin strands that look like green hair.

Four looks at Boulder Broom Moss (Dicranum fulvum), but your face keeps getting closer. Specimen found in Forbes State Forest, Pennsylvania, near Linn Run State Park. #moss #bryophyte #LinnRun #LaurelHighlands

A beige boulder is thoroughly covered with many different mosses, some are pale yellow and tufty, some dense green mats, some are gold threadlike rivulets streaming down the surface like molten metal. Some are orange with flowers. It’s just a glorious bouquet, there are 7 or so different kinds. No lichen at all which is unusual.

Sights like this make me so happy I live on Vancouver Island. Look how many gorgeous mosses are on this boulder! And the mild spring sun letting them glow without curling up to save water like they do in summer.
#moss #bryophyte #MossMagic

Dark green Moss (bryophyte) growing on the bark of an elder tree in a Devon woodland. Forms loose, feathery green mats with slender shoots trailing outward.

Dark green Moss (bryophyte) growing on the bark of an elder tree in a Devon woodland. Forms loose, feathery green mats with slender shoots trailing outward.

Dark green Moss (bryophyte) growing on the bark of an elder tree in a Devon woodland. Forms loose, feathery green mats with slender shoots trailing outward.

Saw this moss growing on elder in a Devon woodland (earlier this month), quite a lot of it about.

I haven’t pinned it down…

#moss #bryophyte

Sphagnum rubellum (red and orange) and papillosum ##moss #bryophyte

A broken maple stem has a moss colony where a bunch of epicormic shoots are emerging. The moss is fruiting, many tiny ridged sporophyte capsules have formed like seeds perched on delicate glasslike stem-strands. The maple buds are swelling, and at the rough tear-out where a branch has broken off, tiny round pink globes huddle in a hole - is it a slime mold?

Moss sporophytes are so pleasing. So wee, and these ones have a ridged texture like a caraway seed! Also there may be slime mold lurking in the hollow of the broken branch attachment, can you see the round fuzzy pink bodies? I didn’t see it til now but will go back and look later.
#bryophyte #moss

A small cluster of Capillary Threadmoss (Bryum capillare), a bryophyte, grows from a crevice in a rough, pale limestone wall in Devon. Several slender reddish setae (spore stalks) rise upward from the moss cushion, each around 1–2 cm tall. At the tips, elongated green capsules hang slightly inclined. Several are covered by an orange cap (calyptra), indicating developing sporophytes; the capsules are smooth and slightly tapered. At the base, the moss forms a dense, bright green cushion of short upright shoots. The leaves are approximately 2–3 mm long, tear-drop shaped with a fine hairpoint (awn). Some shoots show a slight corkscrew twist. To the left, leaves of Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis) emerge from the rock crevice, their soft green contrasting with the fine vertical lines of the moss sporophytes. A frond of Rustyback fern (Asplenium ceterach) provides additional scale. The rock surface is textured and weathered, with patches of yellow lichen scattered across it. The background falls into soft blur, suggesting a shaded, sheltered wall habitat.

A lovely little colony of Capillary Threadmoss (Bryum capillare).

On our Village Hall garden wall, Devon.

tinyurl.com/bryum-capill...

#moss #bryophyte

A dense tuft of Brook-side Feathermoss (Hygroamblystegium fluviatile) fills the right side of the image, growing over a dark, damp rock surface. The shoots form a loose but layered mat, branching irregularly and overlapping. Individual shoots are around 1–1.5 cm long, with leaves approximately 1 mm in length. The leaves are ovate to lance-shaped, concave, and arranged along the stems in a slightly spreading pattern, giving the moss a softly feathery appearance. The colour ranges from bright green to green-gold, with the tips catching the light and appearing more vivid, while the lower layers sit in shadow. The surface appears moist, and the structure of the mat suggests it is adapted to hold water as it creeps over the rock. The background falls away into soft blur, hinting at the surrounding streamside habitat.

A sloping limestone rock runs diagonally from lower left to upper right, its surface dark and wet with a thin sheen of water. Across it spreads bright green to green-gold Brook-side Feathermoss (Hygroamblystegium fluviatile), a bryophyte forming a soft, continuous mat. Several slender reddish setae (spore stalks) rise vertically from the moss near the centre, each approximately 2 cm tall, with small developing capsules at their tips. The shoots creep along the rock surface, branching loosely and overlapping to hold moisture. To the left, a smaller, tighter patch of the same moss forms a low cushion over another small rock. Among the mat are a few tiny round leaves of Dotted Thyme-moss (Rhizomnium punctatum), adding contrast in form. Above, a dry brown oak leaf rests on the rock. Behind it, the woodland floor recedes into soft focus: dark soil, leaf litter, and hints of ferns. The scene sits in a damp, shaded streamside habitat where water periodically flows over the rock. The oak leaf provides scale: individual moss leaves are around 1 mm long, and the shoots approximately 1.5 cm in length.

I think this is Brook-side Feathermoss (Hygroamblystegium fluviatile) growing on limestone rock beside a small stream.

Described by some as drab, to me it glowed green-gold in the afternoon sun.

#moss #bryophyte

Photo of the flaring base of a tree covered with green bryophytes. Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0.

Lest you think epiphytes are found only in the tropics, look to the bryophytes. Mosses & liverworts survive drought by drying without dying. They can shrivel up on dry days but resurrect in the next rain. #bryophyte #moss #liverwort #epiphyte #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Sphagnum subnitens #moss #bryophyte

Sphagnum pulchrum portrait #moss #bryophyte

The scene is set in a sunken lane in Devon. A narrow path runs beside a shallow stream flowing over limestone, with banks about 2 metres high on either side. These banks are built of soil and stone and are thickly covered in moss (bryophytes), rising into shade cast by mature trees above. On one of these damp banks, the image shows a close view of a pale green leafy liverwort (a bryophyte) forming a soft mat about 4–6 cm across among darker bryophytes. The shoots lie flattened along the surface, with rounded leaves arranged in rows along each stem, giving a layered but not overlapping appearance. Each leaf is about 1.2 mm long and 1 mm wide, with a pair of small, divergent teeth at the tip. Scattered across the colony are numerous tiny yellow-green spheres (gemmae) raised on short upright stalks, standing slightly above the leaves like small beads or lamps.

The joy of being new to a subject is that every find feels like a wonder.

Today Notched Pouchwort (Calypogeia arguta) caught my eye, yellow gemmae like tiny lamps on a woodland bank.

#liverwort #bryophyte

Close view of bright green shoots of Blunt Feather-moss (Homalia trichomanoides), a bryophyte growing on shale in a shaded rocky outcrop in Devon woodland. The shoots are about 1 cm long at this stage and hang slightly downward. The leaves are arranged flat in a single plane along each stem, overlapping like tiles and giving a glossy, wet appearance. Each leaf is broad with a rounded tip and a faint central line (nerve) running about halfway down. The shoot ends in a flattened, rounded tip. The surface catches the light, making the leaves shine and appear reflective. This forms part of a larger mat.

Overview of bright green Blunt Feather-moss (Homalia trichomanoides), a bryophyte forming glossy, flattened mats over shale in a shaded rocky outcrop in Devon woodland. The moss spreads pressed close to the surface. The shoots are around 1 cm long and lie mostly in one plane, with some tips hanging slightly downward over edges of the rock. The leaves are arranged flat along each stem, overlapping like tiles and catching the light, giving the colony a smooth, reflective sheen. The mat follows the uneven surface of the rock, forming a continuous patch among small crevices and exposed stone.

A pleasure to find Blunt Feathermoss (Homalia trichomanoides) forming glossy mats on a shaded shale outcrop in Devon woodland today.

Each leaf has a nerve reaching about halfway down.

tinyurl.com/homalia-tric...

#moss #bryophyte

Sphagnum russowii, rubellum, girgensohnii and quinquefarium. Fun fact the star shaped red russowii in the middle is a hybrid of the green girgensohnii the small darker red rubellum seen in the pic #moss #bryophyte

Sphagnum angermanicum An absolutely gorgeous cluster of sphagnum moss that is pastel and appear in natural patterns that resemble "modern day" floral patterns..🐔/🐣 the foreground is blurred pastels.

#STUNDAY
#Naturephotography
#Sphagnum
#moss
#bryophyte
#macro
#minimalism

@sphagnums.bsky.social

A bright green leafy liverwort (bryophyte) forming a dense mat across the upper surface of a small rock in a shallow woodland stream. The rock sits mid-channel, with softly blurred flowing water to the left of the image. The liverwort spreads outward in overlapping shoots, each only a few millimetres long, creating a low, irregular carpet across the rock surface, roughly the size of a hand. Individual shoots show paired leaves arranged in two rows along the stem, giving a flattened appearance. The leaf tips are divided into two small pointed lobes (bifid), with slightly toothed edges that catch the light. The leaves overlap like tiny tiles, holding moisture, and appear slightly translucent and glossy where wet. Other darker green bryophytes are interwoven beneath and around the colony, but the Bifid Crestwort stands out as a fresher, brighter green layer on top. The scene is partially shaded, with light filtering in and reflecting softly off the wet leaves and nearby water, emphasising the hydrated, thriving condition of the plant. Liverworts, moss, and hornworts are all bryophytes, small plants that live where moisture lingers.

Delighted to come across a bright green colony of Bifid Crestwort (Lophocolea bidentata) covering a rock mid-stream today.

Devon woodland

#liverwort #bryophyte

Bryophytes on tree bark in a shaded woodland setting. A thin colony of liverworts covers the upper surface of a small branch, forming a patch about 2 cm across. The growth is mixed: fresh bright green, flat ribbon-like strands lie alongside darker, purplish-brown shoots. Some shoots appear tightly overlapping and slightly inflated, segmented like a millipede, while others are flatter and more translucent, tongue-like, branching irregularly and spreading across the bark. The colony forms a low mat rather than a cushion, clinging closely to the surface of the branch. The contrast between the green and purplish tones, together with growth forms unfamiliar to the naked eye, gives the patch a textured, almost otherworldly appearance. Likely a mix of liverwort species including Dilated Scalewort (Frullania dilatata), which forms small purplish overlapping shoots with pocket-like lobules, and Forked Veilwort (Metzgeria furcata), which grows as flat, forked ribbons. Liverworts, moss, and hornworts are all bryophytes, small plants that live where moisture lingers.

Amazing liverwort colonies for #HotStickSaturday looking like something out of sci-fi.

A 2 cm purplish patch on a small branch in Devon this week, growing among moss.

Likely Dilated Scalewort (Frullania dilatata) and Forked Veilwort (Metzgeria furcata).

#bryophyte #liverwort

Close view of Wall Screw-moss (Tortula muralis), a moss (bryophyte) forming a rounded cushion in a crack of a stone wall. A jutting piece of the wall runs diagonally across the image, rough and grey, with the moss growing out from a narrow crevice. The cushion is bright green and hydrated from light mist, with one or two small water droplets visible. Around fifty slender reddish stalks (setae) rise vertically from the cushion, each topped with a small capsule (sporangium), many still covered by a small hood (calyptra), some upright and some slightly angled. The cushion is formed of small rosettes with tongue-shaped (lingulate) leaves, about 2–3.5 mm long, green, with long silvery-white hair-points (excurrent nerve) extending from the rounded tip. The colony spans an area roughly the width of a thumb, with dense shoots packed closely together, creating a soft, tufted texture against the hard stone.

The soft-cushioned Wall Screw-moss (Tortula muralis) is one of the most common mosses on walls and stone worldwide.

Perhaps because it can self-fertilise when moisture arrives.

tinyurl.com/tortula-mura...

#moss #bryophyte

Sphagnum fallax and flexuosum #moss #bryophyte

A small bright-green moss (bryophyte) forming a tight cushion on rough tree bark. The colony is about the size of a coin, sitting along the upper surface of the bark. The shoots are densely packed, each with leaves curled and twisted into tight loops, giving a distinctive “permed” appearance. Several slender reddish stalks (setae) rise from the cushion, each topped with a narrow capsule. Many capsules are covered by pale, hairy hoods (calyptra), giving a bristly appearance. The leaves are very tightly curled, almost corkscrew-like, even though the plant appears fresh rather than visibly dried.

This little bristlemoss looks like it’s rocking an 80s perm 💚

Kingswood, Corby at the weekend.
#moss #bryophyte

A bright-green moss (bryophyte) forming a dense, rounded cushion on the ground among leaf litter and small twigs in woodland. The colony is about 9 cm across, rising as a soft dome above the surrounding debris. The surface is made up of many tightly packed upright shoots, each forming a small rosette of overlapping leaves, giving the appearance of miniature green roses clustered together. Leaves are broad, smooth, and slightly concave, layered in spirals around each stem. Many leaves end in fine, pale hair-like tips (awn), visible as delicate points extending beyond the leaf surface. No capsules are visible.

A gorgeous dense moss cushion like a bouquet of a thousand green roses 💚

Likely a Bryum, but I’d need capsules to take it further. Approx 9cm across. Pirbright Woods yesterday.

#moss #bryophyte”

Sphagnum pulchrum #moss #bryophyte

A brick sits on black landscape fabric, next to the concrete footing of a greenhouse. The brick is covered with moss tufts and patches of white and black lichen.

My favorite brick, at work. It moves around, securing landscape fabric that might be a tripping hazard. The moss survives searing dry summers, then puffs up in winter as the rains roll in. The lichens please as well, though as the moss tufts expand they're getting overtaken.
#moss #lichen #bryophyte

A dense cascade of bright green moss spilling down the side of a tree trunk in woodland. The tiny shoots curl into tight spirals, giving the moss a richly ruffled texture. To the right, an ivy branch with pale roots clings to the bark, while in the background a woodland path fades softly into the distance. The moss looks damp and plush, its curled tips seeming ready to loosen and unfurl with heavier rain.

Looking forward to seeing what this one looks like after heavier rain.

It was already a very damp day earlier this week in a Devon woodland.

#moss #bryophyte

do you, too, get the inescapable urge to pet moss?

if only it could purr, then we’d really be onto something

#moss #bryophyte #woodland #nature #botany

Macro photograph of Springy Turf Moss (Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus), a moss bryophyte forming a dense colony among blades of lawn grass in Devon. The yellowish-green moss grows in upright shoots that can reach around 10 cm tall, though here only the upper tips are visible between the grass stems. Each shoot rises from a reddish stem, and the pointed leaves bend sharply backwards at almost right angles, so that each shoot ends in a tiny soft star of pale yellow-green leaves. The many shoots crowd together into a thick carpet beneath the grass. When walked on, colonies of this moss feel soft and springy underfoot, giving the lawn a spongy texture. Dew droplets cling to the grass blades and moss tips, catching the light so that the surface appears bright, soft, and faintly glittering, scattered with dozens of miniature star shapes.

Some of the colony of Springy Turf Moss (Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus) that has taken over the village hall yard here in Devon.

The tiny star-like shapes are the moss leaves, bent sharply backwards.

tinyurl.com/rhytidiadelp...

#moss #bryophyte

Macro photograph of a bright green, spiky cushion of bristle moss growing on rough tree bark among patches of yellow and pale grey lichens. Dozens of tiny brown capsules sit among the upper leaves, each topped with a pale hairy hood that makes them look like a cluster of little horns. These shaggy coverings are protective hoods called calyptrae that shield the developing spore capsules.

A rather ferocious-looking little Bristle Moss.

#moss #bryophyte

Photo of a tuft of Shagnum moss that’s off white to light and medium green in colour. The branches of the moss plants look feathery, radiating out from the centre.

Sphagnum moss. #Newfoundland, Canada. #moss #bryophyte #plants
Photo covers about 6cm, left to right.

Macro photograph of a liverwort bryophyte, Forked Veilwort (Metzgeria furcata), showing narrow forked green thalli forming a small tangled mat. The flattened shoots branch repeatedly into slender ribbon-like strands about 1 mm wide. Many of these ribbons extend downward together, hanging like a delicate green fringe, with each strand dividing again and again into fine forks. Along the central midrib of several ribbons are small green oblong swellings, developing sporophytes enclosed within tiny protective hoods called shoot-calyptrae. Under magnification these hoods appear faintly hairy, with delicate hair-like projections giving them a soft, slightly fuzzy outline. As they mature the calyptrae darken, becoming brownish compared with the surrounding bright green thallus. Scattered among them are pale star-like remnants, likely empty calyptrae left after earlier sporophytes matured. The image shows several stages of the liverwort reproductive structures emerging directly from the surface of the ribbon-like thallus.

Forked Veilwort (Metzgeria furcata) liverwort close-up.

I think the small green oblong structures are developing sporophytes. They are enclosed in protective hoods with delicate hair-like projections. The hoods darken as they mature.

tinyurl.com/metzgeria-fu...

#bryophyte #liverwort

Sphagnum affine and angermanicum #moss #bryophyte