National Moss Day is a celebration of the centenary of the British Bryological Society (BBS), the society devoted to the study of mosses, liverworts and hornworts, which together are known as bryophytes. The BBS was formed in 1923 in a merger of the two branches of the Moss Exchange Club. Northampton was central to this, a key figure was the great Northampton bryologist Hugh Dixon who became its first President.
In a hundred years the BBS has evolved far beyond its original remit of recording bryophyte distribution and providing assistance with identification inherited from the Moss Exchange Club, although these are still an important aspect of its activities which would be recognised by Dixon. It publishes Census Catalogues and a Bryophyte Atlas, and its acclaimed Field Guide is used by thousands of amateur bryologists. Additionally it provides tuition, organizes both field and indoor meetings, facilitates research and aids measures for conservation. The website www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk is an excellent resource providing lots of information about bryophytes and the Society’s activities.
Celebrate with us by going out and looking closely at the moss you can find, ideally with a x10 lens to see better their intricate detail and beauty.
You could start in your own garden, which probably has at least a dozen species ...
Many lawns have Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus “Springy turf-moss” (which is actually much prettier than the grass).
... Or in a local churchyard, where little cushion mosses sometimes pick out the inscriptions on gravestones.
On walls you should be able to find Grimmia pulvinata, “Hedgehog Moss” and Tortula muralis, “Wall Screw-moss”. The hairs at the end of their leaves give both a greyish appearance, and help them withstand drying out. They curl up when dry, but soon come to life again when it rains.
If you are lucky you might find Encalypta vulgaris, “Extinguisher Moss” (named for the very large ‘calyptra’ or covering over its capsule), here growing on the mortar between the stones of a village wall.
Woodland is a good place to find plenty of luxurious moss and liverwort on the ground and on branches,
For example:
Cirriphyllum piliferum “Hair pointed Feather-moss” A very pretty silky creeping moss which grows on the ground.
Hypnum cupressiforme “Cypress-leaved Plait-moss” Common on trees, often covering whole trunks or branches.
Conocephalum conicum “Great Scented Liverwort” A big thallose liverwort which sometimes covers the banks of ditches.
Plagiochila asplenioides “Greater Featherwort” A handsome leafy liverwort growing on the ground.
Cirriphyllum piliferum
“Hair pointed Feather-moss”
A silky creeping moss which grows on the ground.
Hypnum cupressiforme, “Cypress-leaved Plait-moss”. Common on trees, often covering whole trunks or branches
Conocephalum conicum
“Great Scented Liverwort”
A big thallose liverwort which sometimes covers the banks of ditches
Plagiochila asplenioides
“Greater Featherwort”
A handsome leafy liverwort growing on the ground
and also Thuidium tamariscinum, “Tamarisk Moss”, illustrated as the background to the title.
If you’re inspired by these, why not join us? The BBS has lots to offer for complete beginners as well as experienced bryologists. You could start by going to outings arranged by one of its 25 local groups; in our region there are excursions arranged from the Cambridge area fortnightly during late autumn through to early spring. Nationally, The BBS arranges at least two field meetings a year, usually in Britain and Ireland, as well as a day of talks preceding its AGM.
