Dawsonia (genus)
A moss at Canberra Central, ACT
Identify this sighting
| Dawsonia (genus) | MichaelMulvaney | 17 Sep 2015 | |
| Unverified | KenT | 15 Sep 2015 |
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User's notes
Western side of Black Mountain on steep south-facing bank of an erosion gully.
5 comments
17 Sep 2015
Probably a species of Dawsonia (but a mature spore capsule would clearly show whether it's that genus or Polytrichum). Two photos show immature capsules, still with their pinkish, hairy coverings (technically calyptrae). You can see a mature Dawsonia capsule at http://www.cpbr.gov.au/bryophyte/photos-captions/dawsonia-sp-81.html and some Polytrichum capsules at http://www.cpbr.gov.au/bryophyte/photos-captions/polytrichum-juniperinum-65.html. The third photo shows the apical, circular pads where sperm are produced. One Polytrichum found locally has strikingly red pad, shown at http://www.cpbr.gov.au/bryophyte/photos-captions/polytrichum-commune-171.html.
20 Sep 2015
Thanks Heino! is there a checklist for the bryophytes of the ACT or southern tablelands region?
23 Sep 2015
Thanks Heino, I assume then that the bryophyte records have not been transferred into an electronic database?
23 Sep 2015
KenT, depends on what you mean by bryophyte records. You can get to the databased records of Australian herbarium collections via Australia's Virtual Herbarium (AVH). Go to http://avh.chah.org.au/ and select search. There you can select spatial search, draw a simple shape on a map and find out what herbarium specimens come from that area. Filter your search by selecting bryophytes (under botanical groups in the left hand panel) to get just the bryophytes. You can look then choose to look at the list of records. This is not a checklist since many species will be listed more than once (since the AVH lists records of collections). The AVH gives you whatever identification somebody stuck on a specimen, so there may be the odd error. Still, you may find the AVH search useful to some degree, pending the production of a checklist with verified identifications. Let me know if my instructions are too vague.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.092944-35.271528
- Maps Black Mountain
- Places Canberra Central, ACT
Sighting information
- 16 - 100 Abundance
- 13 Sep 2015 11:06 AM Recorded on
- KenT Recorded by
Collections
- KenT Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Dawsonia (genus) Mosses, Liverworts & Hornworts Lichens; Mosses & other Bryophytes
Species information
- Dawsonia (genus) Scientific name
- A moss Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 651.2m Recorded at altitude