| Mosses |
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There are over 750 species of moss in Britain and they are a prominent part of the landscape on Skye.
Mosses can be divided into two main morphological groups: acrocarps and pleurocarps. These are not recognised taxonomic groups, but they are very useful for identification purposes. |
| Acrocarps have an upright habit, are largely unbranched and their spore capsule grows from the tip of shoot. | |
 Breutelia chrysocoma |
 Mnium hornum |
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Pleurocarps have a prostrate habit, are always branched (sometimes bipinnate or even tripinnate) and the spore capsule does not grow from the tip of shoot.
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 Hylocomium splendens |
 Rhytidiadelphus loreus |
Major orders of acrocarpous mosses found on Skye
Click on the thumbnail for a larger image
| ANDREAEALES | |||
Andreaea rupestris |
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| POLYTRICHALES | ||
Pogonatum urnigerum |
Atrichum undulatum |
Polytrichum juniperinum |
| DICRANALES - Dicranaceae | |||
Campylopus introflexus |
Dicranum scoparium |
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| DICRANALES - Ditrichaceae | |||
Ditrichum gracile |
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| DICRANALES - Rhabdoweisiaceae | |||
Dichodontium palustre |
Dichodontium pellucidum |
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| DICRANALES - Fissidentaceae | |||
Fissidens taxifolius |
Fissidens taxifolius |
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Fissidens taxifolius |
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| POTTIALES | |||
Tortella tortuosa |
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| GRIMMIALES - Grimmiaceae | |||
Racomitrium lanuginosum |
Racomitrium fasciculare |
Racomitrium heterostichum |
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| GRIMMIALES - Ptychomitriaceae | |||
Ptychomitrium polyphyllum |
Ptychomitrium polyphyllum |
Ptychomitrium polyphyllum |
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| SPLACHNALES | |||
 Splachnum ampullaceum |
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| BRYALES - Bryaceae | |||
 Bryum capillare |
 Bryum pseudotriquetrum |
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| BRYALES - Mniaceae | |||
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Mnium hornum |
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| BRYALES - Bartramiaceae | |||
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Breutelia chrysocoma |
Philonotis fontana |
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Major families of pleurocarpous mosses found on Skye
Click on the thumbnail for a larger image
| HYPNALES - Entodontaceae
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Pseudoscleropodium purum |
Pseudoscleropodium purum |
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| HYPNALES - Hypnaceae
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Ctenidium molluscum |
Orthothecium rufescens |
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Hypnum jutlandicum | |||
Hypnum jutlandicum |
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| HYPNALES - Neckeraceae
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Neckera crispa |
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| HYPNALES - Thuidiaceae
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Thuidium tamariscinum |
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| HYPNALES - Calliergonaceae
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Calliergonella cuspidata |
Calliergonella cuspidata |
| HYPNALES - Lembophyllaceae
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Isothecium myosuroides |
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| HYPNALES - Brachytheciaceae
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Cirriphyllum piliferum |
Cirriphyllum piliferum |
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Eurhynchium striatum |
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| HYPNALES - Hylocomiaceae
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Hylocomium splendens |
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Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus |
Rhytidiadelphus loreus |
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus |
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| Useful links: | British Bryological Society |