News - British Bryological Society

Calyptrochaeta apiculata

Calyptrochaeta apiculata (Southern Hookeria) was much admired on the BBS Spring meeting in Cornwall, March 2022. It really does look like a baby Hookeria lucens, but look more closely and you will spot the pointed leaf apex. The image above was taken by Jonathan Sleath at Frenchman's Creek, and gives some idea of the habitat on creek banks.

Raising the profile of women in bryology

Calling all #WomenInBryology The International Association of Bryologists are looking for contributions from women bryologists throughout the world to their project ‘Raising the profile of women in bryology’. All you need to do is write a short biography saying where you come from, how you came to study bryophytes and why you enjoy bryology. Biographies […]

Cephaloziella turneri

This microscope image of a shoot and perianth of Cephaloziella turneri (Turner's Threadwort) was taken from a specimen collected on the BBS Spring Meeting in Cornwall, 2022. Several populations were found in creeks along the Helford River, but this one was actually growing inland on a private estate near Bodmin. (Click below for the full image).

Call for Physcomitrium pyriforme specimens

You may remember that last year, a team from the US studying Physcomitrium pyriforme requested specimens from Europe to assist in their studies (you can read the post here). The team are still short of European samples, and have just circulated the following request on Bryonet: Given the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, our ability to […]

Learning about bryophytes in Berkshire

(or how to put a BBS grant to good use) BBS member Frankie Richardson received a grant from the BBS last year to pay for a bryophyte identification training course. Here she reports on the course and what she learned. I recently completed a 6-month bryophyte identification course with Ptyxis Ecology, led by John O’Reilly. […]

A Supplement to the Liverwort Flora of the British Isles

The long anticipated Supplement to Jean Paton’s Liverwort Flora of the British Isles is now available to pre-order, at a special price for BBS members only, from the Publications section of the website. For more details, please see here. Publication is expected in late March, and it is hoped that there will be copies available to purchase […]

Didymodon glaucus

Glaucus Beard-moss, photographed by Sharon Pilkington at its only known British site in Wiltshire in February 2022. It is growing on soft shaded chalk in a disused chalk pit, and Sharon reports that it seems to be doing quite well!

Riccia beyrichiana

Riccia beyrichiana (Purple Crystalwort) growing on the margins of an old reservoir in the Brecon Beacons. A relatively large Riccia, easily recognised in this case by the swollen margins to the thallus.

Colura calyptrifolia

This little liverwort is easy to recognise once you've been introduced to it. The inflated leaf lobes with a long beak (giving it its common name of 'Fingered Cowlwort') are unique amongst British liverworts. The only problem is spotting it in the first place, as it's so tiny! The trick is to find suitable habitat, then get your hand lens out and search for it. This specimen was growing on the trunk of a willow near water in the Brecon Beacons, just the kind of damp habitat it likes.

Guide to common bryophilous fungi

BBS member George Greiff has become fascinated by bryophilous fungi over the last couple of years, and is keen to get other bryologists out there looking. He has written a couple of articles in Field Bryology and is putting together a guide to some of the more common bryophilous fungi you might see. We are hosting […]