Moss Plants and More

Are you #Herbarium Staff? We recently began a multi-year research study examining how bryophyte specimens are stored and organized at scientific institutions across North America and Europe and h...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2017/10/bryophyte-herbarium-survey.html

Hanging out with botanists in the field is a great way to learn more about plants and their identification. I recently spent a few days with some awesome botanists in Tennessee at the annual...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2016/05/bryophytes-outdoors_5.html

A friend of a friend sent me these lovely photos of mosses from Bath, England to identify.  So, where do we start? Well, I usually start with the features that look the most distinctive and ...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2016/02/identifying-mosses-with-only-photo.html

Rhodobryum ontariense (Kindb.) ParisPhotographer Blanka Shaw If you are familiar with mosses from the eastern United States you may know the moss Rhodobryum. The rose moss, pictured on ...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2016/01/making-new-friends.html

Do you know this moss? After our run-in at the herbarium last week we are besties. Stay tuned for a post later in the week about my mossy adventures with this character.  1 - Single click on...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/12/december-2015-desktop-calendar.html

Moss spores are small single celled packages that play a crucial role in establishing new populations. These tiny units are blown by the wind and then landing somewhere suitable, grow into a new ...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/11/whats-inside-spore.html

The name of this moss describes  some of the  features that make this species easy to recognize. It is the moss Acrocladium auriculatum. If we break down the name the genus means "...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/11/november-2015-desktop-calendar.html

It always amuses me when I bump into bryophytes when reading, especially when it is my recreational fiction reading. It is pretty common for mosses to be described as part of the background scene...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/10/bumping-into-bryophytes-in-literature.html

Another moss from my trip to southern Chile this past January. Unfortunately I don't have an id for this one. If anyone has any thoughts on a name for this moss, drop me a message in the comments...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/10/october-2015-desktop-calendar.html

Some Grimmiaceae mosses hanging out with an intensely yellow lichen pal  from the 2015 SO BE FREE moss foray in the San Bernardino Mountains of California. 1 - Single click on the image...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/09/september-2015-desktop-calendar.html

This past January I attended the 2015 conference of the International Bryological Association in southern Chile. It was a great conference and an amazing location to visit! The symposium advertis...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/08/a-symposium-on-southern-hemisphere.html

A crispy patch of Gemmabryum mosses from the 2015 SO BE FREE  moss foray in the San Bernardino mountains. 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image d...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/08/august-2015-desktop-calendar.html

The American Bryological and Lichenological Society (ABLS) has started a podcast to feature current research on bryophytes and lichens directly from the experts.  Episode 1 focuses on t...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/07/bryophyte-research-podcasts.html

A great article from KQED Science about resurrection mosses. Scientists are learning more about these tough plants with the goal of using their genes to improve crop plants, so that they can bett...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/07/the-genetics-of-resurrection-plants.html

I finally got around to revising my professional website. It was way out of date and could use some sprucing up. I originally had some large ambitions to switch to a Wordpress site with a sharp t...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/07/professional-website-update.html

Want to experience the wonders of bryophytes in California? Consider attending SO BE FREE 21 (details below). I attended last year when we explored the mosses of the San Bernardino Mountains and ...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/07/bryology-foray-in-california.html

Some lovely liverworts from Chile to grace your desktop this month! 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you will lose a ...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/07/july-2015-desktop-calendar.html

Have you ever wondered why people write science blogs? In the age of Twitter and Instagram are science blogs still popular? Is science blogging dying out? Does anyone actually read them? Feedback...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/06/a-science-blogger-survey.html

Another group of mosses from my bryological adventures in Chile this past winter! 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post yo...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/06/june-2015-desktop-calendar.html

Imagine the world millions of years ago. Covered in plants and dominated by dinosaurs.  Mosses were a critical component of the lush green background, but you wouldn't know it from the fossi...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/05/jurassic-park-mosses.html

Some red Sphagnum mosses mixed in with a succulent vascular plant from my travels to Chile this past winter. Oh to be walking barefoot on the cool wet peat. It would be a great contrast to the wa...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/05/may-2015-desktop-calendar.html

Have you heard of moss graffiti or moss art? Outdoor walls and surfaces covered in mosses shaped into words or images (Google Images). Many articles on the internet promote mosses as an easy...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/04/debunking-moss-graffiti.html

Another moss from my adventures in Chile.  I think the peltate/umbrella shape of this moss is really great! 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/04/april-2015-desktop-calendar.html

Some mosses in the genus Bryum from my travels to Chile. Happy March!  1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/03/march-2015-desktop-calendar.html

Everyone knows about my love of magnification, including my family. This Christmas I got this great lens for my cell phone camera from my sister. Last year I wrote about a similar magnification l...

http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2015/02/more-mossy-magnification.html