So where does this leave the incipient bryologist? Probably the best bet on a limited
budget is Tom Blockeel's English edition of The Liverworts, Mosses and Ferns of
Europe by Frey, Frahm and Lobin. Harley Books. 2006. At £67 it's quite a good bargain
as it covers Ferns as well as Mosses and Liverworts, and keys out all species known to
occur in Europe. The British Bryological Society is producing a Field Guide to British
mosses and liverworts which should see the light of day this year at quite an affordable
price. Unfortunately I fear that it will not be detailed enough to unequivocally identify
those species that it covers and will lead to misidentifications in the same way as some
of Blarney's books give too little detail to be sure of the identification of some higher
plants. To be honest, a book that enables the beginner to relatively easily identify a
moss, liverwort or hornwort from the U.K., correctly, just does not yet exist. The only
way to really get into U.K. bryology is to attended several FSC field courses of the one
week variety, or go out regularly with some the British Bryological Society local groups.
After that, as in the case of the algae you will need to buy Watson 3rd edition, both Tony
Smiths' books, and Jean Paton's tome, plus a range of well illustrated continental Floras!
Having got into bryology, there are several useful supplementary books. Handbook of
the European Sphagna, 1985, by Daniels and Eddy. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, is
extremely good, with very useful comprehensive drawings. But it's out of print! And
Sphagnum: a field guide. JNCC, by Mark Hill and still available from NHBS. Finally,
just out, Arable Bryophytes, 2008, by Ron Porley, Wild Guides. Old Basing. Hants,
has colour digital photos of each species. If you are an absolute beginner and want a
very early starter there is How to begin the study of Mosses and Liverworts, 2008. by
June Chatfield. British Naturalists' Association. But beware there are a lot of detailed
mistakes that need to be ironed out in a later edition.
One of the most useful aspects when tackling a new group is to have a comprehensive
checklist of all the species that are known in your area with their synonyms and some
detail of the nomenclatural changes over the years, plus some idea of their distribution
in the U.K. An updated U.K. checklist has just appeared: A Checklist and Census
Catalogue of British & Irish Bryophytes. Updated 2008. Hill, Blackstock, Long and
Rothcro. British Bryological Society. It gives the latest names and their distribution in
each vice county. [I have it available at £8.00 for anyone who would like one]. For
distribution at the 10km square level we have the Atlas of Bryophytes of Britain and
Ireland, by Hill, Preston and Smith, in 3 volumes. 1991-1994. Harley Books. It is
somewhat dated now as with the clean up of atmospheric sulphur dioxide nationally,
many bryophytes have begun to recolonize eastern England.
In part 4 of this series I will list some of the most useful foreign identification guides
that cover our bryophyte species, and also tackle the identification of our FERNS.
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Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 59, May 2009