Wednesday 27 January 2016

If you start getting bored of bryophytes...

(or can't go far from home for a while) you can always move on to looking at fungi which parasitise bryophytes!  There is now an outstanding new reference website for these things http://www.octospora.de/, including a list of bryophyte hosts (http://www.octospora.de/HostParasite.htm) and lots of info, descriptions and photos.  Octospora grimmiae on Grimmia pulvinata should be worth a look, as should Neotiella ricciae on Riccia spp.  What fun, with lots of spore squashes to enjoy!!

4 comments:

  1. This sounds like Mark Evans territory!

    I can't say I've ever noticed these, but will certainly pay closer attention to the Grimmia pulvinata cushions now.

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  2. They look quite fascinating, the first challenge is finding one!

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  3. Fascinating Sam. I often see lots of algae, but I can't recall ever seeing a fruiting ascomycete like that. Shall look more carefully in future. Yet another measure of biodiversity we can all contribute to.

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  4. Cool. On the side and not fungi- myself and Chris Carter (who is an algae buff) produced a list of the algae associated with some of the tufa springs (H7220 Petrifying springs with tufa formation w Cratoneurion). I haven't got a clue what it means but the pictures are ACE ! We have also been doing algal analysis on some tufa seepage with Eucladium near St Marys Well bay. We have produced a note with the info on so if you know anyone who has any interest let me know and I can send it to them !

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