Hello! I collected some moss from a little outing in Los Angeles and was hoping to have some help identifying so I can look into specifics about each! If it’s not appropriate, please let me know which sub might be more suited to this! i used this to get some ideas…
[https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/California_Fens/diversity/mosses.shtml](https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/California_Fens/diversity/mosses.shtml)
Some of my thoughts. 1-2 (i grouped them together morphologically) were definitely the softest, densest and imo the cutest lol. the tips of the leaf seems to have a sesamoid appearance (like round but with a pointed tip, or in 3D more like a budding rose that’s still closed. Idk what it is but it is dang cute🌱. Any differentials are appreciated haha.
3 almost looks like a fir tree lol. or spaghum moss from the store… but is it?
4 was very spiky looking. Maybe Philonotis fontana pusilla?
5. I wasn’t quite sure about if these were two different kinds or different presentations of the same kind. The darker one has larger leaves (it was drier when i found it i think) and maybe that makes the morphology more pronounced. but the smaller one looks similarly starry shaped but with tinier leaves… but the width of their leaves does not look proportional to the length… are they even the same lmao?
6 looked like short curly hair lol. The curliness of the leaves feels like sanionia uncinata… but this one seemingly doesnt have the vertical growth as the picture shown in that website. it’s just on the ground. but again, could this be from some environmental adaptations or is this inherent to the type…
7 was a lichen associated with what i thought was 6 or 5 lmaoooo mixed features im confusion. Not sure how that will turn out when i propagate it (should i separate it? will the ascomycete contaminate the moss or is it unlikely to do anything bc the condtion im growing these in will be different?) i guess there’s only one way to find out!
Sorry for the long post. tldr what the heck are these (esp help with 1/2 pls).
by chrysanthemummjelly