Figure 1: Gloeocystis colony of cells
Name: Gloeocystis
Family: Radiococcaceae
Collection Date:
Habitat: Tropical and temperate freshwater lakes. Also found in
soils and on rocks.
Location: Hiram College field station.
Description: Spherical and amorphous colonies surrounded by a mucus
envelope. Cells are layered on each other. Single cells are not present..
Key Used:
Baker, A.L. et
al. 2012. Phycokey -- an image based key to Algae
(PS Protista), Cyanobacteria, and other aquatic objects. University of New
Hampshire Center for Freshwater Biology.
http://cfb.unh.edu/phycokey/phycokey.htm 9 Oct 2016.
Keying Steps:
1. Greens (Chlorophyceae)
2. Colonial greens
3. Non-flagellated
4. Gloeocyst
Figure 2: body of
Hygrohypnum ochraceum and detail of leaves through scope
Name: Hygrohypnum ochraceum
Common Name: Bubble
Brook Moss
Family: Amblystegiaceae
Collection Date: September
8, 2016
Habitat: On a
very wet rock and being splashed with water from a man-made waterfall
Location: James
H. Barrow Field Station
Description: Thick
mat with irregularly branching stems. Color is a mix of brown and green
indicating the old and new growth. Leaves are not too crowded and curve to
alternating sides of branches, forming a cup shape. Leaves are oval shaped
coming to a sharp point that curves to one side with a faint midrib that comes
to midleaf.
Key Used:
McKnight, K. B., Rohrer, J. R., Ward, K. M., Perdrizet, J. W. 2013. Common
Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians.
Keying Steps:
p. 16 growth form – pleurocarp; leaf shape – ovate; Midrib –
No… Key IX pp. 365-379
1. Branches not flattened… 12
12. Leaves mostly a single color… 13
13. Stems green to brown…17
17. Plants of wet habitats…18
18. Mosses on wet rocks… 20
20. leaves ovate, held close to stems… 21
21. Plants on acidic rock… 22
22. leaves narrowly ovate, midrib often extends to at least
midleaf… Hygrohypnum ochraceum (p. 281)
Figure 3: body of
Schwetschkeopsis fabronia with detail of leaf through scope and stalk and
capsule of sporophyte
Name:
Schwetschkeopsis fabronia
Common Name: Rapunzel
moss
Family: Myriniaceae
Collection Date: Septermber
8, 2016
Habitat: Base of
tree
Location: Hiram
College James H. Barrow Field Station
Description: Shoots
run parallel to each other similar to combed hair and are small, thin and
bright green. Branches are densely covered in small leaves that are kept close
to the stem. Leaves have bowed sides and taper to a slender point. Leaves lack
a midrib and edges are smooth. The sporophyte stalk is an orange-red color.
Key Used:
McKnight, K. B., Rohrer, J. R., Ward, K. M., Perdrizet, J. W. 2013. Common Mosses of the Northeast and
Appalachians.
Keying Steps:
p. 16 growth form – pleurocarp; leaf shape – lance; midrib –
No… Key VII pp. 362-364
1. Terrestrial plants… 5
5. plants on dry rocks, tree trunks… 8
8. plants small… 9
9. stem and branch leaves similar… 10
10. plants grown in mats…11
11. branches very thing…13
13. Plants appear to have been combed…Schwetschkeopsis
fabronia
Figure 4: detail
of Atrichum altecristatum leaf and example of star-like shape
Name: Atrichum
altecristatum
Common Name: Wavy
Starburst moss
Family:
Polytrichaceae
Collection Date: September
8th, 2016
Habitat: Dry rock
near a small man-made waterfall
Location: Hiram College James H. Barrow Field Station
Description: Plants
stand upright and unbranched, 1-3 cm tall. When wet, leaves spread out and form
a star. When dry, leaves curl towards stem. Leaves are slightly rippled and
bright green in the shape of narrow, swords. Midrib extends the length of the
leaf and along each side is a white stripe. Leaf edges have very small teeth
that are more visible near the top of the leaf.
Key Used:
McKnight, K. B., Rohrer, J. R., Ward, K. M., Perdrizet, J. W. 2013. Common Mosses of the Northeast and
Appalachians.
Keying Steps:
p. 16 growth form – acrocarp; leaf shape – lance; midrib –
yes… Key IX pp. 342-350.
1. plants darker green, yellow green, or brownish black… 3
3. Plants on soil, rocks, trees, or logs in dry areas… 4
4. leaf surface rippled or wavy when wet… 5
5. leaf midrib conspicuous to leaf tip… 6
6. midrib fills less than a quarter width of upper leaf… 7
7. plants 1-3 cm tall…
Atrichum altecristatum
Figure 5: Conocephalum
conicum body, detail of upper surface cells, and transect
Name: Conocephalum conicum
Common Name:
Snakeskin liverwort
Family:
Conocephalaceae
Collection Date: September
29, 2016
Habitat: Large
rock on a rocky embankment
Location: South
Chagrin Reservation
Description: Thalli
dark green and darker on the underside. Leaves are thick and rubbery and
dichotomously branching. The upper surface has visible air pores within
polygonal areas. Transect shows a clear epidermis with different cells on the
top than the bottom.
Key Used: Conard,
H.S. and
P.L. Redfearn, Jr. 1979. How to Know the Mosses and Liverworts 2nd
Edition, McGraw-Hill, Boston, Mass.
Keying steps
1b – plants thalloid… 4
4b – plants thalloid or leafy, with more than one
chloroplast per cell… 5
5a – plants strongly flattened… 6
6a – plants with opaque thallus… Pg. 239 Order 6. Marchantiales
Key to Genera of
Marchantiales p. 239
1a – air pores visible without lens, each in a polygonal
area… 8
8b – thalli without gemmae and without marginal scales on
underside … 10
10a – air pore on a low mound of colorless cells …
Conocephalum
Conocephalum conicum
Figure 6: Dumortiera
hirsute body, transect detail, and upper surface cells
Name: Dumortiera hirsuta
Common Name:
Family:
Marchantiaceae
Collection Date: September
29, 2016
Habitat: Rocky
bank
Location: South
Chagrin Reservation
Description: Thalli
is a grass to yellowish green and ribbon-like. Pores are not noticeable with
the eye and are only vestigial when viewed with a scope. No gemmae cups or sexual
reproductive structures visible. Rhizoids are white and prevalent on the
underside of the thalli. The transect is a small epidermis present where a
short layer of cells is different from the lower cells.
Key Used: Conard, H.S. and P.L. Redfearn, Jr. 1979. How
to Know the Mosses and Liverworts 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, Boston,
Mass.
Keying Steps
Introduction p. 19
1b – plants thalloid… 4
4b – plants thalloid or leafy, with more than one
chloroplast per cell… 5
5a – plants strongly flattened… 6
6a – plants with opaque thallus… Pg. 239 Order 6. Marchantiales
Key to Genera
1b -air pores absent or if present visible only with strong
lens…2
2b- plants on moist or dry rocks…4
4a -thallus without or with only vestigial pores… Dumortiera
Dumortiera hirsute
