George R. L. Greiff
@ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
550 followers 520 following 100 posts
Plant scientist working on PhD at the University of Bristol. Interested in evo-devo and natural history. Microbotanist - bryology and bryo-mycology
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ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
I can't stand seeing those Cladonia mummies. Another frustrating one is the harvesting of large patches of Leucobryum for terraria etc. Really damaging to populations.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Sounds like an exciting find!
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
They do look like hamster ears.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Nice. This one was full of them. I couldn't find any normal tubers...
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
@bbsbryology.bsky.social do you also see these sometimes on tuber-bearing Bryaceae?
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
A final micrograph for today showing mycelium of an Epibryon sp. fungus inside liverwort cells. Most cells are infected but some in the lower part of the photo are healthy, as evidenced by the absence of hyphae and the presence of oil bodies.
Micrograph of liverwort cells, some of which are infected with brown fungal hyphae while others are healthy and contain plastids and oil bodies.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Definitely. They are very difficult to study using classical morphological methods, and getting DNA sequences and/or cultures would probably also be quite tricky.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Micrograph of a rhizoid gall caused by a chytrid on Bryum moss. The infected cell contains several zoosporangia, some of which have thread-like exit tubes that release flagellated spores. Chytrids are interesting fungi that mostly lack hyphae and have mobile spores.
A rhizoidal gall on Bryum sp. from mud in a reservoir draw-down zone. It is club-shaped and curved, containing five chytrid zoosporangia inside it, which are spherical. Some of the zoosporangia have thread-like exit tubes leading to the outside, which liberate zoospores that infect other cells.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
B. scapaniae is closely related to B. gymnomitrii on Gymnomitrium species. Both fungi grow on the lower parts of host shoots. The larger ascomata of the latter make it slightly easier to spot. Both fungi are very rarely recorded.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Great to find the fungus Bryobroma scapaniae on Scapania undulata in Bannau Brycheiniog in Wales a few days ago. I think this is the third ever record of the species, and I see how it is very easy to miss, with the dark fruitbodies disguised against the black host stem. From a rock in a stream.
A single shoot of Scapania undulata photographed against a white background. The apex is green while the brown lower parts display infection (arrowed). Bryobroma scapaniae presents as clustered black ascomata and infected tissues are covered by a dense, dark brown mycelium network. Zoomed in on some infected leaves with dark brown, branching mycelium and black fruitbodies. Clusters of black fruitbodies on largely leafless basal part of the plant shoot.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Definitely seen similar drops before. Not sure if that fungus specifically, but it happens.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Hydnellum peckii can look like this, perhaps it is a place to start. Some mushrooms exude these syrup-like droplets.
Reposted by George R. L. Greiff
britishlichensociety.org.uk
An opportunity of a lifetime for budding lichenologists. The National Trust and the Royal Botanics, Edinburgh are offering a PAID lichen traineeship in #Scotland! The work programme looks fascinating and a great opportunity to develop skills. Deadline: 3/10/2025. www.asva.co.uk/jobs/trainee...
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Thanks, Jill! It was an unexpected honour and it has been amazing to see how my cohort has grown and developed over the years. Now, for the final push! @gpsep.bsky.social
So very proud of my student George Greiff for winning the David Hanke Medal for the best student talk at this year’s Gatsby Plant Science network meeting in Oxford. Well deserved at the end of a busy and productive PhD 👏🏻💕.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
* yellow superficial antheridia. I think those in Riccia etc. are immersed but not sure about that.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Seems reasonable. I don't know it very well, but it is a spready species. The yellow antheridia seem to rule out other genera to me. It does look very strange in general, though! Good luck and hopefully sporophytes won't be needed for it!
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Seems like a Fossombronia of some kind but not sure which.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Yeah, I was on one about a month ago and it was dreadful.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
That looks good for it, to me.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Using one of my favourite bryophyte books to help with my thesis. It is a difficult read, densely packed with all kinds of interesting and almost forgotten information. I must have read it half a dozen times, and each time, I notice something profound that I either missed or didn't understand before
The book, "The Structure and Life of Bryophytes" by E. V. Watson. It has a green and white cover with line drawings of bryophytes on it.
Reposted by George R. L. Greiff
astrokatie.com
"PhD-level experts in your back pocket" is a completely nonsensical description of AI but a pretty good description of social media if you follow the right people
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
Very nice Polytrichum strictum too.
ilichenmoss2.bsky.social
I totally agree. I received it yesterday, and I think it strikes a great balance between being interesting to anyone and useful for specialists. A higher taxon approach really makes you see the diversity and disparity of the three groups. Congrats again @jowilbraham.bsky.social