The lure of the liverwort

Super long hyaline moss hair points. On a boulder near you.

I may have told you before, but I. Really. Love. Moss. and I want you to love it too. Maybe you'll be more receptive when you hear I've recently, with virtually no strain, amassed 65 specimens. I mean it takes some effort to identify the things, obviously. But with mosses and liverworts you'll never be short of material. That has to be a good start.

Where have I found so many mosses? (I hear you ask). Well, nowhere exotic. I've been on a walk through an ancientish woodland (22), I've wandered around the campus (12), I've been on a field trip to a stream (5) and a park (13), and en route elsewhere I've squealed the car to a halt next to a lush and verdant drystone wall (9).  The secret is to look at different habitats - mine were on trees and on the earth, and on walls. So I've not even touched on grasslands or heathlands or watery places yet. Mosses aren't difficult to collect or carry, and they don't require any fancy preservation. So long as any companions don't mind you holding up proceedings every now and again, you can keep an eye out for them wherever you go.

Metzgeria liverwort

 If you like moss, you're going to love liverworts (I know you will). Look at the snakey, seaweedesque example above. It's only one cell thick! and it's a 'thallose' species, one without leaves but just a sort of branching strap shape tissue. Soo lovely. I found it down by the Frome. It was literally covering a wall and also on the tree trunks - everywhere, but too tiny for anyone to realise its structure (most would think it just looked like Green Stuff. But they don't know what they're missing).

Here's another liverwort, a leafy species this time. Look at the lovely way it's flattened and branching - and it has little 'underleaves' too (something that mosses don't run to). What's not to like? Liverworts often like soggier places than most mosses; this one was on a very damp wall.

If you're still wondering what to collect, I really do recommend this group. Make yourself some Moss Packets (see this page) and get going! If you want to see some of my specimens (and how I identified them) then you're most welcome to come to the lab - just send me an email to arrange a time.