Project leaders: Sheri Wilcox and Wanda Anglin
County: All
VMS opportunity: Citizen Science (Other): TMN Field Research Hours
Collect bryophytes to submit to the Tracy Herbarium at TX A&M for accessioning, the process of identification and integration of a specimen into its permanent, organized collection. Our bryophyte specimens will contribute to a “Guide to Texas Bryophytes” book that the herbarium curator, Dale Kruse, is writing.
Mosses, liverworts, and hornworts are collectively called bryophytes. These diverse, often unnoticed, plants are dependent on free water for sexual reproduction, so the best place to look for them is in areas with a fairly reliable source of surface water, soil moisture, or humidity. They can be found on a variety of substrates such as soil, rock, tree trunks, tree bases and branches, and woody vines. Many manmade structures also provide a suitable habitat such as masonry buildings, cemetery headstones, roof surfaces, and other similar structures.
Participation requires training to identify, collect, and document specimens. The project is organized into collecting periods in which dates are set and training provided before the period begins. January through March is the best collecting period, but other periods may be announced.
Review the projects’ Bryophyte Collecting Guide to learn more about the project.
Photos by Wanda Anglin
