Non-vascular Plants: October 2015

Friday, October 16, 2015

Specimen #10: Thuidium delicatulum

Collection #: 10

Scientific Name: Thuidium delicatulum

Phylum: Bryophyta; Bryopsida

Order: Hypnales

Family: Thuidiaceae

Common Name: delicate fern moss

Location: Camp Asbury, Hiram

Habitat: Bottom of wet wood

Date of collecting: August 30th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: Feathery mosses, very common

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Group picture Fig.2 Single plant with measurement

From the picture of the group of the plant sample (Fig.1) and individual plant (Fig.2), it is pretty obvious that this plant is in the pleurocarp growth form. Sorry that I didn't have a picture of the leaf. These single branches were the smallest thing I could every get from the plant with a pair of tweezers. But this picture still clearly shows that this specimen is with ovate-shaped leaves with a midrib. By knowing these features, we could now go to the key: KEY VIII: Pleurocarps with ovate leaves with midrib.

Fig.3 Picture of a single branch

Fig.4 The way seta attached to the branch

Fig.5 Capsule

Fig.6 Cell structure

The following steps is how I went through the keys:

1. (A) Plants pinnately branched (like a feather or fern frond). (2)

2. (A) Stems 2-3x pinnate. (3)

3. (A) Stem leaves not pleated, tip held close to stem when dry; plants often 3x pinnate, green to yellow. (Thuidium delicatulum, P271)

Description of the species:

Appearance: Plants resemble delicate, miniature ferns, forming mats of dull green to yellow green over the forest floor. Stems are 3-10 cm long and regularly twice to three times pinnate. Leaves are sparse revealing green fuzz on stems and big branches, but are very densely clustered and overlapping on the small (terminal) branches. Leaves are held dose to stem when dry, and spread out somewhat when wet.

Leaves: Stem leaves are about 1 mm long, egg-shaped triangular, tapering to a strong pointed tip, unpleated. Midrib extends to tip. Edges are smooth and rolled down. Branch leaves are similarly shaped but much smaller.

Capsules: Long cylindrical, inclined to horizontal, curved gently, 2-4 mm long; lid is long-beaked. Stalks are 2-4 cm tall and rust-colored.

Habitat: Forest soil, rotting logs, and rocks; prefers damp shady sites.

Microscopic Features: The midrib peters out just below the tip of leaf. Each cell has at least one bump. Tiny, green, treadlike paraphyllia cover the stems and branches between the leaves. (See Fig.6 for these facts.)

Collecting and keying story:
This was actually the first thing, I think, that I collected from my first field trip.
I really thought that the tiny little buds I picked off and put on the slide was a leaf at the beginning. When I put that on a slide and observed it, I was surprised that it was actually a branch with even smaller leaves on there (Fig.3). There's no way I could get a single leaf off.
So I just observed the branches, and it helps.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=THDE10

Keys cited from:

Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians by Karl B. McKnight, Joseph R. Rohrer, Kirsten McKnight Ward and Warren J. Perdrizet. This book is in the series of the Princeton Field Guides and was published by Princeton University Press with copyright @ 2013.

Specimen #9: Diphyscium foliosum

Collection #: 9

Scientific Name: Diphyscium foliosum

Phylum: Bryophyta; Bryopsida

Order: Buxbaumiales

Family: Buxbaumiaceae

Common Name: nut moss

Location: Hiram College field station

Habitat: Wet soil by the side of the trail in a bog area

Date of collecting: October 8th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: With almost no gametophyte; will shoot spores out when being abused.

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Group picture Fig.2 Single plant with measurement

Fig.3a Single plant (gametophyte, female and sporophyte) under a dissecting scope

Fig.3b Single plant (gametophyte, male) under a dissecting scope

Even though with mostly sporophytes and has almost no gametophyte, from the picture of the group of the plant sample (Fig.1) and individual plants (Fig.2 and Fig.3), we could still figure that this plant is in the acrocarp growth form. The leaf picture (Fig.4) shows that this specimen is with tongue-shaped leaves with a midrib . By knowing these features, we could now go to the key: KEY II: Acrocarps with Lance-shaped Leaves.

Fig.4 Picture of a single leaf

The following steps is how I went through the keys:
1. (B) Leaves arranged in more than two rows and coming out all around stem; wet plants not flat or not resembling ferns. (See Fig.3b for these facts.) (6)

6. (B) Leaves flat or cupped, lacking long needle tip. (See Fig.4 for this fact.) (7)

7. (A) Plant ≤1.5 cm tall. (See Fig.2 for this fact.) (8)

8. (B) Leaves with rounded tip; capsules 3 mm long, shaped like a wheat kernel, stalkless. (See Fig.2 and Fig.3b for these facts.)(Diphyscium foliosum, P163)

Fig.5 Cell structure

Fig.6a Habitat Fig.6b Habitat

Description of the species:

Appearance: Upright plants, 1-2 mm tall, form dull dark green brownish, dense patches on soil. The leaves spread wide from the short stems when wet and are curled and crumpled when dry. Easily overlooked or ignored unless the distinctive, nutlike capsules are present.

LEAVES: Narrow tongue- or strap-shaped, 1-4 mm long, with blunt, rounded tips. Fine midrib runs nearly to apex, visible only with high-powered hand lens. Edges are smooth.

Capsules: Asymmetric, shaped like tiny nuts squatting on the ground, 3-4 mm long, brown, with a beaked lid. Ringed by a fringe of fine, spiky, brown, awned leaves. Lacking a stalk. The broad upper surface of the capsule is angled to face maximum sunlight.

Habitat: Shaded soil, often along roads and paths, or on thin soil crusts over rocks.

Microscopic Features: The leaves owe their dark and dull appearance to the multi-layered leaf tips and leaf blades covered top and bottom with bulging and bumpy cells. (See Fig.4 for these facts.)

Collecting and keying story:

Caroline was the first one who saw this species during the field trip, and as she was trying to take a sample for her collection, the capsule shoot some spores at her which made her very excited. I took some sample after her, but the capsules I took didn’t shoot at me as I would expect. I asked Willa about this, and she said that the capsules will shoot spores “if you abuse them enough”, but I didn’t quite understand that until the day when I tried to key this thing out.

On my keying day, I used the tweezers to pick out a single plant from the group. As soon as I squeeze the capsule, it shoots some spores at me.

Alright, I was abusing it. I got it.

Since the spores were shot out, I wasn’t able to get a picture of the spore cells, which is kind of disappointing.

By the way, this was the first tongue-shaped leaf moss I’d ever keyed, so I was kind of excited as well. ^_^

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=DIFO3

Keys cited from:

Specimen #8: Entodon seductrix

Collection #: 8

Scientific Name: Entodon seductrix

Phylum: Bryophyta; Bryopsida

Order: Hypnales

Family: Entodontaceae

Common Name: cord glaze moss

Location: Hiram Field Station

Habitat: On the surface of a log

Date of collecting: October 8th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: Cute sphagnum-like plant with giant capsules with seta

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Group picture

Fig.2 Single plant

It might be a little bit hard to tell, but this plant is in the pleurocarp growth form. A clue will be that the seta grew out from the middle of nowhere on the plant (Fig.2).In addition, the leaf picture shows a clear ovate shape without a midrib (Fig.3). As a result of this, we could now go to the key: KEY IX: Pleurocarps with ovate leaves without midrib.

Fig.3 Single leaf

The following steps is how I went through the keys:

1. (B) Branches not flattened; leaves appear to come off all around stem, more or less 3-dimensional. (See Fig.2 for this fact.) (12)

12. (B) Leaves mostly a single color (See Fig.3 for this fact.); capsules either on stalks, or surrounding leaves not white-fringed. (See Fig.2 for this fact.) (13)

13. (B) Stem green to brown, not particularly contrasting with leaves; mosses of various sizes. (See Fig.2 for this fact.) (17)

17. (B) Plants of dry to very moist habitats, not submerged or kept constantly wet. (See Fig.5 for this fact.) (23)

23. (B) Branches appear cylindrical, at least when dry; leaves either held close to stem and overlapping when dry or if leaf bases wide-spreading then strongly cupped with tips curved back toward stem (some species with branches looking very different when wet). (See Fig.2 for these facts.) (26)

26. (B) Leaves 1-2 mm long; plants midsized. (29)

29. (B) Plants growing on soil, humus, rock, rotting wood, or tree bases; dry leaves overlapping and held tightly to stem or spreading outward up to 45°, when wet not much changed. (See Fig.5 for this fact.) (31)

31. (B) Leaves crowded and overlapping, ovate to ovate-elliptic with short tips; branches worm-like. (See Fig.2 for this fact.) (32)

32. (A) Capsules cylindrical, 2-3.5 mm long; leaves 1-2 mm long, abruptly contracted to very short point. (See Fig.2 and Fig.4 for this fact.) (Entodon seductrix, P291)

Fig.4 Single plant with ruler

Fig.5a Habitat

Fig.5b Habitat

Fig.6 Overall cell structure of the bottom of a leaf

Description of the species:

Appearance: Very shiny, green or yellowish, wormlike moss that creeps horizontally, forming flat silky patches. Leaves are densely crowded, overlapping, scale-like, and form tightly cylindrical, or sometimes slightly flattened branches. Wet leaves are translucent, revealing the green to brown stems beneath. Dried, the moss looks like glossy embroidery floss.

Leaves: Ovate-elliptic, 1-2 mm long, coming to an abrupt sharp point, very cupped. Midrib is lacking. Edges are smooth.

Capsules: Cylindrical, 2-4 mm long, upright to barely tilted, with a beaked lid. Stalk is 5-16 mm tall and rusty red.

Habitat: Rocks, rotting logs, at base of trees in airy, dry woods or thickets. (Fig.5)

Microscopic Features: Many small, square cells at lower outside corners of leaf, otherwise cells are long and skinny. (See Fig.6, Fig.7 and Fig.8 for these facts.)

Fig.7 Square cells at lower outside corners of leaf

Fig.8 Long skinny cells in other parts of the leaf

Collecting and keying story:

This is another sample/result for my "whenever I see a moss with a sporophyte, I want to collect it" problem. You can see from the habitat pictures above about how beautiful the capsules of these plants were. Besides, this specimen caught my attention because it has the worm-like branches that look like a sphagnum, but I knew exactly it wasn’t since it has these sporophyte with a seta and a giant cylindrical capsule as well.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entodon_seductrix

Keys cited from:

Specimen #7: Polytrichum commune

Collection #: 7

Scientific Name: Polytrichum commune

Phylum: Bryophyta; Polytrichopsida

Order: Polytrichales

Family: Polytrichaceae

Common Name: common haircap moss

Location: the Triangle Lake area

Habitat: On soil before get onto the boardwalk

Date of collecting: September 10th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: looks a little bit woody; each individual grows separately

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Group picture Fig.2 Single plant with measurement

Fig.3a Single leaf under a dissecting scope

Fig.3b Single leaf under a dissecting scope

From the picture of the group of the plant sample (Fig.1) and individual plants (Fig.2), we could easily figure that this plant is in the acrocarp growth form. The leaf picture (Fig.3a and Fig.3b) shows that this specimen is with lance-shaped leaves (I thought it was hairlike at the beginning; but it's actually lance since it's wider and the midrib is somehow visible) with a midrib (pay special attention by the bottom of the leaf). By knowing these features, we could now go to the key: KEY II: Acrocarps with Lance-shaped Leaves.

The following steps is how I went through the keys:
1. (B) Plants darker green, yellow green, or brownish black, shoots loosely associated or if densely packed then not in domed mounds; leaves flat or folded but not tubular, with midrib usually visible at least at base of leaf. (See Fig.1 and Fig.2 for this fact.) (3)
3. (B) Plants on soil, rocks, trees, or logs in dry areas, or if in wetter areas, not submerged in water; leaves not folded at base. (4)
4. (B) Leaf surface not rippled or wavy when wet. (See Fig.3a and Fig.3b for this fact.) (9)

9. (A) Leaves mostly ≥4 mm long (some at base or tip of stem may be shorter). (10)

10. (B) Wet leaves stiff, thick, and opaque when held up to light (reminiscent of conifer needles); midrib difficult to see except at leaf base. (See Fig.3a and Fig.3b for this fact.) (14)

14. (B) Leaf margin toothed except along clasping leaf base (See Fig.3a and Fig.3b for this fact); capsules with or without disk. (17)

17. (B) Capsules 4-sided like a box. (19)

19. (A) Capsule with a disk at attachment to stalk. (Polytrichum commune, P57)

Fig.4 Cell structure

Description of the species:

Appearance: Large, 5-15 cm tall, upright dark green or brownish plants that superficially look like pine tree seedlings growing in thick patches. Narrow pointed leaves are held upright and pressed to stem with recurved tips when dry; when wet, they spread outward 90 degrees. Male pants are topped by splash cups, cupped rosettes of short leaves surrounding the sex organs.

Leaves: Narrow, lance-shaped from clasping square base, 6-10 mm long. Leaves are thick, opaque, and flat, especially when wet, but never with deeply inrolled edges and although sharp-tipped, without long needle tips. Midrib is brownish, opaque, and runs to top, most visible in pale clasping leaf base; otherwise it fills leaf blade and is hard to recognize. Teeth run from tip to clasping leaf base.

Capsule: Four-sided, short-rectangular to cubic, like a box, with a disk at the base. Capsules are upright initially, inclined with age; covered in a very hairy hood while developing in the summer. Stalk is 5-9 cm tall.

Habitat: Moist soil, often shaded, in fields or woodlands. Also along margins of bogs, swamps, and lakes.

Microscopic Features: Cross-section of leaf shows thin strips of cells, 1-cell wide and 4-9 high, along the midrib; the uppermost cell in each stack is wide and notched.

Collecting and keying story:

This was the first specimen I sampled at the Triangle Lake area. They grew together with some fake mosses so when I first keyed it wrong I thought I got the fake ones… But it turns out to be alright when I changed the “hairlike leaf” clue into “lance-shaped leaf”.

To key out this specimen, a sample of the capsule was really necessary since the last 3 keys were all about the capsule. But unfortunately, I didn’t have one. So what Willa helped me to do, was to “assume” what the capsule would look like, and surprisingly it worked. Later on after I keyed this, I found that my classmate Breanna has had collected a sample of the same plant, and she had the capsule. I double checked with her, and now I’m really confident that I keyed this thing right.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytrichum_commune

Keys cited from:

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Specimen #6: Sphagnum girgensohnii

Collection #: 6

Scientific Name: Sphagnum girgensohnii

Phylum: Bryophyta; Spagnopsida

Order: Spagnales

Family: Spagnaceae

Common Name: graceful peat moss

Location: Trangle Lake area

Habitat: Wet bog area near the board walk

Date of collecting: September 10th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: Smaller and greener peat moss compare with specimen #5

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Group picture Fig.2 Single plant

From both of the pictures above (Fig.1 and Fig.2), we could again easily see that this specimen is another Sphagnum/peat moss just like specimen #5, and in general, this specimen has greener color and smaller single plant. By knowing this fact, we could now go to the key: KEY XII: Peat Mosses

The following steps is how I went through the keys:

1. (B) Branch leaves with margins flat to somewhat incurved, yip long-pointed, not hooded; stem cross-section without consipicuous cortex, less than ¼ diameter of stem; branches slender, stringy or spiky. (See Fig.3 for this fact.) (5)
5. (B) Clusters of 5 or fewer branches attached at one point; apical head large or small but not as dense as pom-pom; stems stiff to flexible; plants typically grow as cushions, mats, or carpets either in forests or open habitats such as bogs, fens, or sedge meadows. (6)
6. (B) Branch leaves with apical half gradually narrowed and not bent outward from base (some species may have leaf tips reflexed outward when dry). (See Fig.3 for this fact.) (7)
7. (B) Plant green, yellowish, or brownish with no trace of red. (See Fig.1, Fig.2 and Fig.5 for this fact.) (10)
10. (B) Apical head with mostly straight branches and not appearing twisted when viewed from above. (See Fig.2 for this fact.) (11)
11. (B) Stem leaves tongue- to fan-shaped with round tips, as long as branch leaves, and lying flat against stem and pointing toward stem tip; if apical heads looks like a 5-pointed star, then developing branches between the rays solitary. (See Fig.4 for this fact.) (13)

13. (B) Plant greenish, loosely packed in carpets or small mounds of more shady and/or mineral-rich habitats (See Fig.1 for this fact.); stem leaves fringed to tattered across apex (See Fig.4 for this fact.); terminal bud at center of apical head (viewed from above) clearly visible.
14. (B) Terminal bud visible but not conspicuous compared to the large apical head; stem leaves tongue-shaped, not broader at tip than base, margin fringed or notched just at apex (See Fig.4 for this fact.); stem stiff. (Sphagnum girgensohnii, P337)

Fig.3 Picture of branch leaves

Fig.4 Stem leaf

Fig.5 Single plant with ruler

Fig.6 Branch leaf under a microscope

Fig.7 Stem leaf under a microscope

Fig.8 Single branch

Fig.9 Cell structure

Description of the species:
Appearance: Plants are large, 8-20 cm tall, stiff, in extensive loose carpets; green, or occasionally yellowish or brownish green, never with any hint of red or pink. The wiry stem snaps crisply like a celery stalk when bent double. The apical head is flat-topped, distinctly star-shaped as viewed from above, and has a visible but small terminal bud. The spreading branches extend laterally at right angles to the stem and then curve downward with long, slender tips.
Leaves: Branch leaves are 1-2 mm long, lance-shaped, margins without teeth. Stem leaves are 1 mm long, tongue-shaped with a broadly rounded fringed apex. No midrib.
Capsules: Uncommon, brown to black, spherical, about 2 mm in diameter.
Habitat: Common and widespread in our region; a shade-loving species found on moist soil and humus in a variety of forest types.
Microscopic Features: Green cells of branch leaves are exposed more broadly on the concave surface. Pores are abundant on convex surface, fewer on concave. Stem leaves have broad borders of narrow cells on either side of a sieve-like area of enlarged cells at the base (See Fig.7 for this fact.).

Collecting and keying story:

On the day we went to Triangle Lake, our major target were the sphagnum. There were so many of them there so we each collected a sample as soon as we see any sphagnum--and that was how I got my specimen #5. Then I see this species that look slightly different.
They look greener.
I picked up some and went to Willa and asked her if this might be another species. She said, "could be."
So I collected it.
And it turns out that this is a different species.
After I keyed this out, I was kind of worried since the size of the plant does not really match with the description. Then Willa told me that I shouldn't worry too much about the plant size.
So I guess this is it.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=spgi70

Keys cited from:

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Specimen #5: Sphagnum palustre

Collection #: 5

Scientific Name: Sphagnum palustre

Phylum: Bryophyta; Spagnopsida

Order: Spagnales

Family: Spagnaceae

Common Name: Blunt-leaved peat moss

Location: Trangle Lake area

Habitat: Wet bog area near the board walk

Date of collecting: September 10th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: Very special look, weird moss; smells really good when wet.

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Group picture Fig.2 Single plant

Sphagnum is a very different type of moss compare with the others. The "peat moss" growth form is the only growth form that Sphagnum has--or in other words, a peat moss can only be a Sphagnum. From both of the pictures above (Fig.1 and Fig.2), we could see that for this specimen the characteristics for Sphagnum/peat moss is pretty clear. By knowing this fact, we could now go to the key: KEY XII: Peat Mosses

The following steps is how I went through the keys:
1. (A) Branch leaves with margins strongly incurved, forming a blunt hooded tip (See Fig.3 for this fact.); stem cross-section with conspicuous cortex, about ⅓-½ diameter of stem; branches plump, worm-like. (See Fig.4 and Fig.5 for this fact.) (2)

2. (B) Plants green, tellowish, or brownish; lacking any red, pink, or purple. (See Fig.1, Fig.2, Fig.5 for this fact.) (4)
4. (A) Plants green to tellowish brown, typically in forests, sedge meadows, or at margin of ponds, streams, or bogs (See Fig.1, Fig.2 and Fig.5 and "Habitat" for these facts.); spreading branches usually with tapering ends. (Sphagnum palustre, P325)

Fig.3 Picture of branch leaves

Fig.4 Single branch

Fig.5 Single plant with ruler

Fig.6 Cell structure

Description of the species:
Appearance: Plants are large, upright, 8-25 cm tall, (See Fig.5 for this fact.) forming carpets and hummocks; green to yellowish brown, sometimes with a pink blush (but never purplish red). Apical head with plump worm-like branches with tapered ends (See Fig.2, Fig.4 and Fig.5 for this fact.).
Leaves: Branch leaves are 2-3 mm long, egg-shaped, margins in-rolled above, forming a blunt hooded apex, sometimes with the tips bent away from the branch at up to a 45-degree angle. Stem leaves are 1-2 mm long, tongue-shaped. Margins are without teeth. No midrib.
Capsules: Uncommon, brown to black, spherical, about 2 mm in diameter.
Habitat: Swampy coniferous and hardwood forests, forested fens, sedge meadows, and at the margins of streams, be and ponds; more typically shaded than in full sun.
Microscopic features: Outer cells of stems and branches have delicate spiral wall thickenings visible with staining. Green cells of branch leaves in S. palustre and S. papillosum are triangular and exposed more broadly on the concave surface. In S. magellanicum,they are elliptical, lie midway between convex surfaces, unexposed. Pores are numerous and large on the convex surface in S. palustre, fewer on concave. In the Other two species pores are few to none on both surfaces.

Collecting and keying story:

Sphagnums are interesting. They doesn't look like mosses at all. They are usually giant, and always live in a bog area. Before we went to the field trip when I collected this sample, Willa told us that the whole Triangle Lake area looks like a completely different world. When we stepped onto the board walk, we knew exactly what she meant. All the different species of plants we have here are different from anywhere else in Ohio, and the side of the boardwalk was filled with millions of sphagnum mosses. That was literally the first day I've ever seen a sphagnum, and they looked so different and smelled so good. I noticed a small color difference between two groups of plants, so I collected a sample of both of them, and later on proved that they were different types of sphagnums. For further information about that, please see Specimen #6.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SPPA70

Keys cited from: