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.
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Not the best photo, but a beautiful specimen of fruiting Dicranella howei (Howe’s Forklet-moss) nonetheless. This species can often be seen fruiting in late winter / early spring and was spotted here on Gilwern Hill near Abergavenny at the start of January.
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This image was captured by Sharon Pilkington in a flush in the Comeragh Mountains, Waterford, in August 2023, and shows the red patches at the base of the leaves beautifully. Its common name is the rather beautiful Varnished Hook-moss.
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A robust and handsome moss (its common name Large Hook-moss doesn't really do it justice). This specimen was photographed by Sharon Pilkington during a Petalwort survey in March 2023, growing in a dune slack at Braunton Burrows, Devon.
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This unmistakeable, pale green, furry liverwort (common name Downy Veilwort) was one of many beautiful bryophytes photographed during the 2023 BBS Autumn meeting on Ben Lawers.
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Bryums have a bad reputation for being tricky to identify, but this specimen of B. pallens (Pale Thread Moss) growing on rocks by a reservoir on Ben Lawers didn't pose too much of a problem thanks to it's salmon-pink colour and distinctly concave leaves. Seen here growing with Bryum pseudotriquetrum and the liverwort Blasia pusilla with it's characteristic gemmae.
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This beautiful image of the fringed calyptrae of Encalypta ciliata (Fringed Extinguisher-moss) was taken by Clare Shaw on the BBS meeting on Ben Lawers in 2023 (after the Centenary AGM). It is quite a feat to get everything looking so sharp, especially the cilia!
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Another of the more unusual Sphagna seen at Silver Flowe in Galloway during the BBS Summer meeting 2023. Sphagnum medium was only relatively recently split from S. divinum; both were formerly recorded as S. magellanicum.
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One of the rarer Sphagna seen at Silver Flowe in Galloway during the BBS Summer meeting 2023. Others included S. beothuk, S. austinii and S. medium. As it's name suggests, Sphagnum pulchrum is one of the most beautiful! Photo: Philippa Thompson.
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Grimmia decipiens (Great Grimmia), spotted recently by Sharon Pilkington whilst pottering around a Sarsen stone site (Piggledene SSSI near Marlborough). The long hair points are a good indicator, and if you have good enough eyes, you might be able to see that they are coarsely toothed.
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