tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929053649793517102026-03-16T07:16:49.246-04:00Commentary on all things BryologicalJessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.comBlogger379125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-54154329324331168892017-10-09T08:58:00.000-04:002017-10-09T08:58:13.374-04:00

Are you #Herbarium Staff? We recently began a multi-year research study examining how bryophyte specimens are stored and organized at scientific institutions across North America and Europe and how (if at all) herbarium curation methods/approaches affect research in our research community and the study of bryophytes in particular. We are actively recruiting staff members at herbaria in

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-74151906653744692042016-05-05T13:00:00.000-04:002016-05-05T13:00:39.065-04:00

Hanging out with botanists in the field is a great way to learn more about plants and their identification. I recently spent a few days with some awesome botanists in Tennessee at the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Smoky Mountains National Park.  We looked at wildflowers, trees, shrubs, ferns, and of course mosses. There are also walks for the animal-lovers

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-68640925092361659402016-02-16T19:56:00.001-05:002016-02-17T11:35:08.025-05:00

A friend of a friend sent me these lovely photos of mosses from Bath, England to identify.  So, where do we start? Well, I usually start with the features that look the most distinctive and sift through my mental card catalog of mosses to see which ones these fit. Sporophytes can be helpful for determining the higher classification for the moss, such as the order or family.  1)

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-72340895738148861982016-01-29T10:00:00.000-05:002016-01-29T10:00:23.055-05:00

Rhodobryum ontariense (Kindb.) ParisPhotographer Blanka Shaw If you are familiar with mosses from the eastern United States you may know the moss Rhodobryum. The rose moss, pictured on the right. It is a large, easily recognized, and charismatic moss that grows in forests. And I am in agreement with its name. It does look like a rose with many lush, green petals. 

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-70623778777232159772015-12-08T00:43:00.002-05:002015-12-08T00:43:16.071-05:00

Do you know this moss? After our run-in at the herbarium last week we are besties. Stay tuned for a post later in the week about my mossy adventures with this character.  1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you will lose a lot of resolution.) 2 - Right-click (or ctrl-click) on the image, and chose the

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-7952836918177325282015-11-05T11:39:00.001-05:002015-11-05T11:40:04.822-05:00

Moss spores are small single celled packages that play a crucial role in establishing new populations. These tiny units are blown by the wind and then landing somewhere suitable, grow into a new moss plant. They enable mosses to spread far and wide across the globe.  There are two strategies for releasing spores.  Xerochastic = capsules are open and spores are released when

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-34656726631542073412015-11-04T11:30:00.000-05:002015-11-04T11:30:00.997-05:00

The name of this moss describes  some of the  features that make this species easy to recognize. It is the moss Acrocladium auriculatum. If we break down the name the genus means "acro-" = tip/apical + "-cladium" = branch, which describes the highly pointed branches tips. The specific epithet describes the heart shaped leaves; they are shaped like two earlobes at the base ("

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-88739441546679087872015-10-08T11:00:00.000-04:002015-10-08T11:00:04.244-04:00

It always amuses me when I bump into bryophytes when reading, especially when it is my recreational fiction reading. It is pretty common for mosses to be described as part of the background scenery, such as 'The lush verdant forest was covered in a layer of soft moss'. Mosses are also used as part of a survival strategy either as an insulating layer to keep warm or an absorptive padding to pack

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-79239783632887700022015-10-05T11:21:00.002-04:002015-10-05T11:21:38.771-04:00

Another moss from my trip to southern Chile this past January. Unfortunately I don't have an id for this one. If anyone has any thoughts on a name for this moss, drop me a message in the comments.  1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you will lose a lot of resolution.) 2 - Right-click (or ctrl-click) on the

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-49722881996815757112015-09-02T15:19:00.001-04:002015-09-02T15:19:16.462-04:00

Some Grimmiaceae mosses hanging out with an intensely yellow lichen pal  from the 2015 SO BE FREE moss foray in the San Bernardino Mountains of California. 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you will lose a lot of resolution.) 2 - Right-click (or ctrl-click) on the image, and chose the option that

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-36423399483279987652015-08-18T15:15:00.001-04:002015-08-18T15:15:38.715-04:00

This past January I attended the 2015 conference of the International Bryological Association in southern Chile. It was a great conference and an amazing location to visit! The symposium advertised below may only be of interest to professional bryologists, but I would highly recommend that anyone looking for a far off vacation adventure that is loaded with bryophytes consider visiting Puerto

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-30442003862295486392015-08-01T10:30:00.000-04:002015-08-01T10:30:00.632-04:00

A crispy patch of Gemmabryum mosses from the 2015 SO BE FREE  moss foray in the San Bernardino mountains. 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you will lose a lot of resolution.) 2 - Right-click (or ctrl-click) on the image, and chose the option that says, "Set as Desktop Background" or "Use Image as Desktop

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-62611859244945138312015-07-20T11:30:00.000-04:002015-07-20T11:30:01.369-04:00

The American Bryological and Lichenological Society (ABLS) has started a podcast to feature current research on bryophytes and lichens directly from the experts.  Episode 1 focuses on transcriptomics. Let me try to break this down for you. Transcripts are small messages (mRNA) that are copied from the DNA and are used as templates to make proteins. -omics refers to a field of

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-29478807152677657002015-07-13T12:29:00.000-04:002015-07-13T12:29:19.574-04:00

A great article from KQED Science about resurrection mosses. Scientists are learning more about these tough plants with the goal of using their genes to improve crop plants, so that they can better survive the drought conditions in California.  Click here for the full article. 

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-25158522102888328572015-07-09T11:00:00.000-04:002016-02-09T11:14:37.154-05:00

I finally got around to revising my professional website. It was way out of date and could use some sprucing up. I originally had some large ambitions to switch to a Wordpress site with a sharp theme, but the learning curve was just too steep for me at the moment. So instead I just made some changes to my iWeb site and posted it up.  The only issue I keep running into with this platform is

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-26278358735665437902015-07-06T11:49:00.000-04:002015-07-06T11:49:38.758-04:00

Want to experience the wonders of bryophytes in California? Consider attending SO BE FREE 21 (details below). I attended last year when we explored the mosses of the San Bernardino Mountains and the year before that when we were in the hills of Santa Cruz. They were both really great trips! I especially enjoy getting to spend time with both amateur and professional bryologists from across the

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-67770020383697384002015-07-01T12:50:00.002-04:002015-07-01T12:50:48.585-04:00

Some lovely liverworts from Chile to grace your desktop this month! 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you will lose a lot of resolution.) 2 - Right-click (or ctrl-click) on the image, and chose the option that says, "Set as Desktop Background" or "Use Image as Desktop Picture" or "Save Image As...". The

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-11458701693216199312015-06-12T11:30:00.000-04:002015-06-14T16:36:55.088-04:00

Have you ever wondered why people write science blogs? In the age of Twitter and Instagram are science blogs still popular? Is science blogging dying out? Does anyone actually read them? Feedback from readers can sometimes be few and far in between. As the writer of a science blog it sometimes feels like I am shouting into an internet void. Is anyone listening? I recently participated in a

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-45781442849921532522015-06-01T11:00:00.000-04:002015-06-01T11:00:00.543-04:00

Another group of mosses from my bryological adventures in Chile this past winter! 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you will lose a lot of resolution.) 2 - Right-click (or ctrl-click) on the image, and chose the option that says, "Set as Desktop Background" or "Use Image as Desktop Picture" or "Save Image

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-63219080407654144132015-05-27T11:30:00.000-04:002015-05-27T11:30:01.100-04:00

Imagine the world millions of years ago. Covered in plants and dominated by dinosaurs.  Mosses were a critical component of the lush green background, but you wouldn't know it from the fossil record. Unfortunately there are not many moss fossils. They break down more rapidly than other woody plants and thus there is less fossil evidence of their history on the planet. 

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-51762519219796693482015-05-04T11:38:00.001-04:002015-05-04T11:38:23.286-04:00

Some red Sphagnum mosses mixed in with a succulent vascular plant from my travels to Chile this past winter. Oh to be walking barefoot on the cool wet peat. It would be a great contrast to the warm weather we have been having here in Davis already. Full-blown summer is just around the corner! 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-64997025280769842412015-04-20T11:00:00.000-04:002015-04-20T22:14:07.054-04:00

Have you heard of moss graffiti or moss art? Outdoor walls and surfaces covered in mosses shaped into words or images (Google Images). Many articles on the internet promote mosses as an easy way to create living/green art. As a scientist who regularly grows mosses in the laboratory I have a number of issues with this art form, but let's start with methods.   There&

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-91083908496648192212015-04-02T11:30:00.000-04:002015-04-02T11:30:00.988-04:00

Another moss from my adventures in Chile.  I think the peltate/umbrella shape of this moss is really great! 1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you will lose a lot of resolution.) 2 - Right-click (or ctrl-click) on the image, and chose the option that says, "Set as Desktop Background" or "Use Image as

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-5492184673766228222015-03-02T11:00:00.000-05:002015-03-02T12:40:20.728-05:00

Some mosses in the genus Bryum from my travels to Chile. Happy March!  1 - Single click on the image to open it up in a new window. (If you use the image directly from the blog post you will lose a lot of resolution.) 2 - Right-click (or ctrl-click) on the image, and chose the option that says, "Set as Desktop Background" or "Use Image as Desktop Picture" or "Save Image

Jessica M. Budkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15186781052879876123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792905364979351710.post-15070270678461264302015-02-23T13:30:00.000-05:002015-02-23T13:30:01.605-05:00

Everyone knows about my love of magnification, including my family. This Christmas I got this great lens for my cell phone camera from my sister. Last year I wrote about a similar magnification lens that sticks to your cell phone camera allowing you to take magnified photos. It worked pretty well, but I like this one even better. The rubber band holds the lens snugly in place and

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