Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: fredg on April 08, 2015, 05:53:11 PM

Title: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on April 08, 2015, 05:53:11 PM: A short video of one of my current interests, Liverworts. I shot this today on the river Meden in Pleasley Vale. My excuse for posting here is - They grow on rocks ;D. I identified three species in a very short distance.

http://youtu.be/41z4Y9wVzjU (http://youtu.be/41z4Y9wVzjU)
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: David Nicholson on April 08, 2015, 06:01:40 PM: Nice video Fred and lovely surroundings. Don't think it will catch on as a hobby though ;D
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on April 08, 2015, 07:18:56 PM: Oh I think you could already be very wrong there David. ;) There's already a lot of people out there looking at Bryophytes.
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: Matt T on April 08, 2015, 07:21:29 PM: We've hosted two bryophyte workshops here at our home in the last 6 months. ;D
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: Maggi Young on April 08, 2015, 07:31:19 PM: You see, David - this is why I never take your advice on the Lottery numbers...... you never have your finger on the ~~lentil~~ pulse :D
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: David Nicholson on April 08, 2015, 07:35:51 PM: ;D ;D ;D Blimey, takes all sorts 8)
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: Roma on April 08, 2015, 09:04:32 PM: Fruiting bodies of liverwort - Pellia epiphylla -3 pics which grows in boggy areas of my ponies' field
and a couple of mossy pics
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on April 08, 2015, 09:34:53 PM: Nice one Roma :)
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on April 20, 2015, 08:27:56 PM: OK who's supplying the candles for that birthday cake?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1319904/Fossils-worlds-oldest-plants-unearthed-Argentina.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1319904/Fossils-worlds-oldest-plants-unearthed-Argentina.html)
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: mark smyth on April 20, 2015, 10:34:07 PM: what camera were you using?
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on April 21, 2015, 05:26:50 PM: If you mean for the videos Mark. its a little Canon Legria HF R406. It's inexpensive so if I drop it into a river it's not really a disaster. The optics are good and it's lightweight, it fits nicely in a pocket when I'm scrambling about. I have 3 batteries and 2 x 64Gb cards plus a few smaller ones so I can effectively take videos for hours.
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: Hoy on April 25, 2015, 03:21:32 PM: I am actually planting moss in my garden but I dislike liverworts in the seedpots!

I have not tried these though:

What may be Bryum cryophilum:

[attach=1]

and Sphagnum capillifolium:

[attach=2]
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on April 25, 2015, 05:40:59 PM: I also have been releasing mosses into the garden. I had several trays growing for a year. Hopefully a proportion will survive the attentions of the cats.The ferns I've dotted around this small area will hopefully help. The Bryum I'm not familiar with, I don't think it's a UK native. The Sphagnum I may already have within my Darlingtonia trays. I have quite a few Sphagnum species in there.

I have to agree with you on the liverworts in seed pots Hoy. They look much better when given their own pots (trays). I have kept the samples I have had to lift for identification (it's a bit awkward if you have to hang upside down over a river and wield an eyepiece.) and potted them up at home. They grow very well on just plain sphagnum peat and also look amazingly healthy. The growth rate when given optimum conditions is also something of a surprise to me. So far I've only located thalloid liverworts, I'm not in the best part of the country for finding leafy ones, they're much more abundant in the west ('cross t' Pennines) and north (ower the border in Scotland).
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: Hoy on April 25, 2015, 07:54:11 PM: The picture of the Bryum is taken in Svalbard!

Here are two others, Splachnum vasculosum (also from Svalbard)

[attach=1]

and Asterella gracilis from my summerhouse.

[attach=2]

[attach=3]
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on April 26, 2015, 07:34:05 AM: Behave, you have me drooling :P
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on May 13, 2015, 06:14:40 PM: One of my Marchantia polymorpha is starting to flaunt its female bits. :o A cute little thing this one .

Marchantia polymorpha archegoniophore

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5451/17419555760_2fbc70a015_o.jpg)

I also spotted Conocephalum salebrosum on a return trip to the River Meden in Pleasley Vale. I also found at least a further two species which I have still to identify.

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5450/17604757185_5d0d1e757a_o.jpg)
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on June 12, 2015, 12:53:45 AM: The three species of Liverwort that I've so far found in Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick, starting from the waterfall of the Cala Burn downstream.
Lunularia cruciata inhabits the section nearest to the waterfall and then it's the turn of Conocephalum conicum. The latter covers a larger expanse on both sides of the burn, slowly petering out as the terrain opens out and overhead cover decreases. Marchantia polymorpha is the furthest downstream and is in the most open situation, occupying a flat area just to the side of the burn but not actually on its banks.
Finally a bonus Lichen that shouted at me as I returned to the car.

http://youtu.be/Dsl1HpIcCA8 (http://youtu.be/Dsl1HpIcCA8)
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: Chris Johnson on June 12, 2015, 07:52:40 AM: Some nice bryophyte habitat, Fred.

I've not found Peltigera collina but note from the national database it has been recorded from Stornoway. Don't get up there too often but will look for it next time.
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: shelagh on June 12, 2015, 04:22:11 PM: Not sure if this is the right place to post these pictures but your interests may just stretch to these.

On our last visit to Tallinn Botanic Garden we were introduced to a new project they had set up as a visitor attraction.

I apologise for the quality of the 2nd picture but the bark on the tree in the background is in focus ::)
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: shelagh on June 12, 2015, 04:27:28 PM: I would love to see how this exhibit has fared with time. I think it would be rather difficult to have the correct conditions for all these examples. There were ofcourse many more but I must admit I'm more drawn to ferns and flowers.

This last photo was the one I doctored for last years East Lancs photo comp.
Title: Re: One that will make some scratch their heads.
Post by: fredg on June 12, 2015, 08:28:28 PM: Ferns are good Shelagh. Ferns in a moss garden even better. Or would it be moss in a fernery? ;)