Bryophytes really repay a little more study – they are not just beautiful in the field! Here you can see the antheridia (male organs) of Hypnum cupressiforme in various stages of development. To observe these, you need to find a shoot with diminutive male side branches, then just dissect one of these, removing all the subtending bracts. This specimen was collected in January, but antheridia may not be present throughout the whole year; we don’t know a great deal about the timing of sexual reproduction stages for many bryophytes species.
If you are interested in contributing to our knowledge of sexual reproduction in Bryophytes, you might like to get involved in our new Phenology project. Look out for the upcoming article in Field Bryology.
You can see more images on our Species Finder page at https://www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk/learning/species-finder/hypnum-cupressiforme/
Published: 1 April 2024
