OMLA 2009 Fall Foray
Meigs County, OH. Sept. 19, 2009
The Fall 2009 foray of the Ohio Moss and Lichen Association, organized by Barb Andreas and Ray Showman, was conducted at three locations in Meigs County. Meigs is a border county along the Ohio River in southeastern Ohio that is rural and forested, but unlike several adjacent counties that have 100+ mosses talled, until today only 50 moss species had been recorded from the county. The lichen total, 98 species, is much more representative, but we’re always on the lookout for more. The foray was attended by 13 people, including one participant who was new to our group.
OMLA Fall Foray, Meigs County, Ohio. Sept 19, 2009.
Collecting began at the Meigs County, Bedford twp. Rt. 33 rest stop (southbound). [39.1260 N, 081.7981W]. This is a fairly large mowed area with lots of trees, good for corticolous lichens and mosses. There are known to be at least 20 lichen species here, but to date it hasn’t been inspected for bryophytes.
Barb and Ray inspect tree for corticolous cryptogams at Rte 33 rest stop. Meigs County, Ohio.
Tree bark is an a great place to see mosses and lichens growing together.
Corticolous cryptogams at Rte. 33 rest stop in Meigs County. September 19, 2009.
While OMLA’s raison d’etre is to seek and enjoy cryptogams, we occasionally get distracted by vascular plants. In this case, an orchid in fruit (probably Spiranthes vernalis) and a grape fern caught our eye.
OMLA members Jeff, Carole, and Bill examine an orchid in fruit at Rte 33 rest area in Meigs County.
It was fun to see such unexpected plants in a lawn area. Here’s the grape fern.
Botrychium dissectum in a lawn area!
Rte 33 rest area, Meigs County, Ohio. September 19, 2009.
Our next two spots were in the Shade River State Forest. For the remainder of the morning we explored Township Road 265 (Number Nine Road) east [39.1195 N, 081.7981 W ]. This is a small, rocky stream channel with shaded rocks and waterfalls.One of the intriguing cryptogams growing here is a “gelatinous” lichen, i..e., one that has a cyanobacteria phycobiont.
Gelatinous lichen at Shade River State Forest. September 19, 2009.
The area included some bluff-like sandstone boulders that harbor lichens and bryophytes.
Sandstone cliff at Shade River State Forest. September 19, 2009.
The afternoon was spent at another location within the Shade River State Forest, a spot along Rice Run Road north. [Meigs County, Olive twp., NW ¼ sect. 30. 39.1788 N, 081.8190 W]. Here much of our time was spent examining saxicolous species on boulders in and alongside Rice Run.
OMLA foray participants at Rice Run, Shade River State Forest. September 19, 2009.
The rocks are home to each of the three major groups of bryophytes. At one time these were regarded as classes within Division Bryophyta, but now they are seen as separate Divisions unto themselves.
A hornwort (Division Anthocerotophyta):
Hornwort on the rocks (with a twist of lemon?) at Shade River State Forest. Sept. 19, 2009.
…a leafy liverwort (Division Marchantiophyta):
A leafy liverwort at Shade River State Forest, Meigs County, Ohio. Sept. 19, 2009.
…a thallose liverwort (Division Marchantiophyta):
Thallose liverwort at Shade River State Forest, Meigs County, Ohio. September 19, 2009.
…and finally, a moss (Division Bryophyta):
An acrocarp moss at Shade River State Forest. September 19, 2009.
Another moss, distinctive in that it has a persistent protonema, was seen growing on bare soil brought up by a wind-thrown tree.
Moss with persistent protonema and reduced gametophyte at Shade River State Forest. Sept. 19, 2009.
…as usual, it is thrilling to see special vascular plants. Here’s one –a non-yellow goldenrod! Silverrod, Solidago bicolor, is a woodland species with creamy white flowers.
Solidago bicolor at Shade River State Forest.
Most OMLA forays include not only a field trip, but some focused lab identification time as well. For our Meigs foray, the identification work was done on a separate Saturday a couple months afterwards. Held November 14 at the OSU Herbarium and hosted by Cynthia Dassler, the lab day also served as a workshop for learning gcryptogam identification, as well as a chance to work on challenging specimens from other sites.
Cryptogam workshop and Lab ID session for the Meigs County Foray. November 14, 2009.
Lichen identification at the cryptogam workshop.
Moss identification at the cryptogam workshop.
Bryophytes of the 2009 OMLA Fall Foray, Meigs County, Ohio.
Rte 33 Rest Stop (33), Shade River State Forest (SR), and Rice Run (RR)
* = new for Meigs County.
Mosses (65)
Anomodon attenuatus SR RR
A. rostratus SR
Atrichum angustatum SR
A. crispulum* SR
Aulacomnium heterostichum SR
Bartramia pomiformis SR
Brachythecium laetum* 33 SR
B. rivulare* SR
B. salebrosum 33
Bryhnia graminicolor SR
B. novae-angliae* SR
Bryoandersonia illecebra 33 SR
Callicladium haldanianum* SR
Campylium chrysophyllum* SR RR
Climacium americanum SR
Ctenidium molluscum* SR
Cyrto-hypnum pygmaeum* SR
Dichodontium pellucidum* SR
Dicranella heteromalla 33 SR
Dicranum fulvum SR
D. montanum* SR
D. scoparium 33 RR
Diphyscium foliosum* SR
Entodon seductrix 33
Eucladium verticillatum* SR
Eurhynchium hians RR
E. pulchellum SR
Fissidens bryoides SR
F. osmundioides* SR
F. subbasilaris* RR
F. taxifolius SR
Forsstroemia trichomitria* RR
Grimmia pilifera* RR
Gymnostomum aeruginosum* SR
Haplocladium microphyllum* SR
Haplohymenium triste* RR
Hedwigia ciliata RR
Homalotheciella subcapillata* SR
Hygroamblystegium tenax SR
Hyophila involuta* SR
Hypnum curvifolium SR
H. lindbergii* 33
Leptodictyum riparium* SR
Leskea gracilescens 33 SR RR
Leucobryum glaucum 33 RR
Mnium marginatum* SR
M. thomsonii* SR
Orthotrichum ohioense* 33
O. pumilum* 33
Plagiomnium cuspidatum SR RR
Platygyrium repens* 33
Platyhypnidium riparioides SR
Pogonatum pensilvanicum SR
Pohlia nutans* SR
Polytrichastrum ohioense 33 RR
Pylaisiadelpha tenuirostris* 33 SR
Rhizomnium punctatum SR
Rhyncostegium serrulatum SR
Schistidium rivulare SR
Sematophyllum adnatum* RR
S. demissum SR RR
Taxiphyllum taxirameum* SR
Tetraphis pellucida* SR
Thamnobryum alleghaniense SR
Thuidium delicatulum 33
Hornworts (1)
Phaeoceros laevis* SR
Liverworts (11)
Conocephalum conicum SR
Diplophyllum apiculatum* SR
Frullania asagrayana RR
Frullania eboracensis* 33 RR
Jungermannia crenuliformis SR
Lejeunea cavifolium* RR
Leucolejeunea calypeata* RR
Lophocolea heterophylla* SR
Nowellia curvifolia* SR
Pellia epiphylla* SR
Scapania nemorea SR
Total Species = 77 (Rte 33 Rest Stop 16, Shade River State Forest 56, Rice Run 19)
Lichens of the 2009 OMLA Fall Foray, Meigs County, Ohio.
Rte 33 Rest Stop (33), Shade River State Forest (SR), and Rice Run (RR)
* = new for Meigs County.
Macrolichens
Candelaria concolor 33 RR
Canoparmelia crozalsiana 33
Cladonia apodocarpa SR
C. coniocraea 33 SR
C. squamosa SR RR
C. subtenuis RR
Collema subflaccidum SR
Dermatocarpon luridum SR
Flavoparmelia baltimorensis RR
F. caperata 33 SR RR
Heterodermia obscurata RR
H. speciosa SR
Hypotrachyna livida 33 RR
Lasallia papulosa RR
Leptogium cyanscens SR
L. juniperinum RR
L. lichenoides RR
Myelochroa aurulenta 33 SR RR
M. galbina SR
M. metarevoluta* SR
Parmelia squarrosa
P. sulcata 33 RR
Parmelinopsis minarum 33 RR
Parmotrema hypotropum 33 SR RR
P. stuppium 33 SR
Peltigera canina 33
P. evansiana
Phaeophyscia adiastola* SR RR
P. pusilloides* SR
P. rubropulchra 33 SR RR
P. squarrosa* 33
Physcia aipolia 33
P. americana SR RR
P. millegrana 33 SR RR
P. stellaris 33 SR
Physciella chloantha 33
Physconia detersa 33
Punctelia rudecta 33 SR RR
P. subrudecta 33 RR
Pyxine sorediata 33 SR RR
P. subcinerea SR
Ramalina pollinaria RR
Umbilicaria mammulata RR
Usnea mutabilis* SR
Usnea strigosa 33
Total Macrolichen Species = 45 (Rte 33 Rest Stop 22, Shade River State Forest 23, Rice Run 23)
Crustose Lichens
Buellia stillingiana SR
Caloplaca feracissima 33
C. flavovirescens 33
Candelariella efflorescens 33
Graphis scripta SR RR
Hypocenomyce scalaris 33
Lecanora dispersa 33
L. hybocarpa 33 SR RR
L. strobilina 33 SR
L. thysanophora SR
Lepraria incana SR
L. lobificans SR RR
L. membranacea SR RR
Nadvornikia sorediata SR
Opegrapha varia RR
Phlyctis argena SR
Porpidia albocaerulescens SR RR
Protoblastenia rupestris SR
Pyrrhospora varians SR
Ropalospora chlorantha SR
Strigula stigmatella SR
Sarcogyne regularis SR
Total Crustose Species = 22 (Rte 33 Rest Stop 7, Shade River State Forest 16, Rice Run 6)