My major professor at U. Tenn. was world known expert on mosses, especially Japan and Mexico. His name was A.J. Sharp. Her is why I became a botany major!
I'm pretty sure I met him, summer of '77 or '78 when he visited Mt Lake Biological Station. I was taking a class in Pteridology (ferns and fern allies) the week the Wagners (his equal in the world of ferns) were visiting the station. He came to talk common field interests with them.
This, from BING's AI feature. A good field guide, hand lens, and iNaturalist app SEEK should get your started. Hope this helps. @fred
The best way to learn to identify common American mosses is to use a **guide** that can help you distinguish between different **moss genera** and **species** based on their **morphological features**²³. Some of the features you can look for are:
- The **growth habit** of the moss: whether it is **acrocarpous** (upright and unbranched) or **pleurocarpous** (branching and mat-forming) ³.
- The **shape and arrangement** of the leaves: whether they are **square**, **long**, **folded**, **curled**, or **awned** (with a hair-like tip) ¹³.
- The **color** of the leaves and stems: whether they are **green**, **yellow**, **brown**, or **red** ³.
- The **location and substrate** of the moss: whether it grows on **rocks**, **soil**, **wood**, or **concrete**, and in what kind of **climate** and **moisture level** ³.
- The **sporophytes** of the moss: the structures that produce spores. They can vary in shape, size, color, and position on the stem ²³.
For example, one common American moss is the **American tree moss** (Climacium americanum), which is a pleurocarpous moss with dark olive green leaves that resemble a forest of trees. It grows in semi-shaded habitats such as woodlands and wetlands⁴. Another common American moss is the **starburst moss** (Atrichum angustatum), which is an acrocarpous moss with bright green leaves that look like clusters of stars. It grows in a wide range of soils and habitats across the western hemisphere⁵.
You can use online resources such as [Guide to Moss Genera - Opening Page - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](https://www.life.illinois.edu/moss-guide/) or [Moss Plants and More](http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/) to learn more about moss identification. You can also use apps such as PlantSnap or iNaturalist to help you identify mosses using photos. 📸
My major professor at U. Tenn. was world known expert on mosses, especially Japan and Mexico. His name was A.J. Sharp. Her is why I became a botany major!
I'm pretty sure I met him, summer of '77 or '78 when he visited Mt Lake Biological Station. I was taking a class in Pteridology (ferns and fern allies) the week the Wagners (his equal in the world of ferns) were visiting the station. He came to talk common field interests with them.
I want to know more about mosses.
This, from BING's AI feature. A good field guide, hand lens, and iNaturalist app SEEK should get your started. Hope this helps. @fred
The best way to learn to identify common American mosses is to use a **guide** that can help you distinguish between different **moss genera** and **species** based on their **morphological features**²³. Some of the features you can look for are:
- The **growth habit** of the moss: whether it is **acrocarpous** (upright and unbranched) or **pleurocarpous** (branching and mat-forming) ³.
- The **shape and arrangement** of the leaves: whether they are **square**, **long**, **folded**, **curled**, or **awned** (with a hair-like tip) ¹³.
- The **color** of the leaves and stems: whether they are **green**, **yellow**, **brown**, or **red** ³.
- The **location and substrate** of the moss: whether it grows on **rocks**, **soil**, **wood**, or **concrete**, and in what kind of **climate** and **moisture level** ³.
- The **sporophytes** of the moss: the structures that produce spores. They can vary in shape, size, color, and position on the stem ²³.
For example, one common American moss is the **American tree moss** (Climacium americanum), which is a pleurocarpous moss with dark olive green leaves that resemble a forest of trees. It grows in semi-shaded habitats such as woodlands and wetlands⁴. Another common American moss is the **starburst moss** (Atrichum angustatum), which is an acrocarpous moss with bright green leaves that look like clusters of stars. It grows in a wide range of soils and habitats across the western hemisphere⁵.
You can use online resources such as [Guide to Moss Genera - Opening Page - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](https://www.life.illinois.edu/moss-guide/) or [Moss Plants and More](http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/) to learn more about moss identification. You can also use apps such as PlantSnap or iNaturalist to help you identify mosses using photos. 📸
Source: Conversation with Bing, 6/11/2023
(1) Guide to Moss Genera - Opening Page - University of Illinois Urbana .... https://www.life.illinois.edu/moss-guide/.
(2) 30+ Different Types of Moss (And Most Common Moss Species). https://www.plantsnap.com/plantblog/types-of-moss/.
(3) Moss Plants and More: Identifying Mosses with Only a Photo. http://mossplants.fieldofscience.com/2016/02/identifying-mosses-with-only-photo.html.
(4) 20 Types of Moss to Consider for Your Next Garden Project - MorningChores. https://morningchores.com/types-of-moss/.
(5) 19 Types of Mosses For Your Garden | Trees.com. https://www.trees.com/shrubs-and-bushes/moss.
Thanks, Fred!