Liverworts

[fredg]

 

[fredg]

I was checking liverworts this morning and noticed this trio happily growing together. Conocephalum salebrosum, Lunularia cruciata and Riccardia chamedryfolia. I'm calling it the Portland Mix.

They're in the Portland Park video but it's not that obvious that there are the three together

 

[Zath]

*Finally has a shot worth sharing*

Found several colonies of these today at the local park. One of possibly two kinds that were there. I'll see if I can find another pic or two out of the masses that I shot. (And of course I took a small "sample" to bring home ;P)

 

[fredg]

Conocephalum salebrosum Zath

 

[Zath]

Mind if I ask what resources you're using to ID these? Is there a book somewhere I need to buy or something? lol

 

[fredg]

I have a Field Guide ( you need a camel/pack mule to carry it in the field) and the BBS online resource of that book.

It's here British Bryological Society then Resources / BBS Field Guide online.

There must be a US equivalent somewhere.

 

[fredg]

Some of the Liverworts encountered on today's peramble in Pleasley Vale and along the River Meden.

 

[Zath]

Not as various or exciting as Fred's menagerie; this is what I was able to find today (including two that I'm not sure are actual liverworts. Hopefully he can help me out with that)

The ones I'm sure of:

And two that I'm unsure of. One may simply be a kind of dried-up moss, or something else entirely, lol.

moss?

 

[eithan0693]

I think I appreciate these a little more now. They still do a number on my bladder worts and corkscrew plants so I tend not to Like them when they are growing with my other plants

 

[fredg]

Much was happening during my week in Scotland.

I completed planting up all my spring bulbs on September 30th. On two of those tubs I found these little chappies and their friends on my return on October 31st.

There are well over 50 of them and considering they must be less than a month old they already have open gemmae pots. With the rain we're having they must be throwing out gemmae by the dozen. It'll be interesting to see just how quickly they spread.

 

[fredg]

A fair proportion of my captive Liverworts. They don't appear to mind my ministrations.

 

[fredg]

I have two trays of this Riccardia species made up from field samples collected at different times 250 miles apart. Both trays are showing the same growth and from the appearance I am identifying them as sporophytes. I have been unable to find any photographs, neither online nor in my reference books, of the sexual parts of Riccardia species so if you can shine a different light on the subject please do.

Please excuse the quality of the images. They are taken with my sub £100 "field" bridge camera.