Collecting Bryophytes for Lab Identification
Follow these guidelines in the field to collect great bryophyte samples for herbarium vouchers and lab
identification.
1.
Collect groups of entire plants. All parts of a bryophyte help in identification. Use an implement
such as a knife or a small chisel to lift plants from rocky or woody substrates without leaving their
bases behind. Collect a small sample of substrate with the plants if they are too firmly attached to their
substrates to lift them in one piece (but generally avoid collecting large quantities of soil or litter with
the plants). Plants with sporophytes (capsules) - even old ones – are more useful for identification than
those without.
2.
Each sample should ideally be about the size of your palm. If necessary, less can be used for
identification. Never collect a sample if it will remove most or all of the species from the site.
3.
Each sample should have a single species dominant. Bryophytes often grow intermixed, but try to
make separate collections for each species. For example, if species A is mixed with B, try to collect a
sample that is mostly species A and another that is mostly species B.
4.
Each sample should be collected in a separate paper bag. Paper is used instead of plastic because
bryophytes are preserved best in a dry state. Number 2 paper bags (available from suppliers of grocery
stores) are recommended for their convenient size, but any paper container will do as long as the
collection is secure. The top of each bag should be folded over so that the sample doesn't fall out.
Ideally, each sample should be packaged separately rather than putting several collections together in
one bag. On drying, bryophyte samples become brittle and difficult to separate from one another
without inflicting damage. Some samples that form solid cushions when moist can fall apart when dry
and mix together with other species in the same bag. Furthermore, mosses in over-stuffed bags may
dry too slowly to prevent mold from rendering the samples useless.
5.
Each bag should be legibly labeled in permanent ink. Microhabitat information such as substrate
(aspen base, calcareous boulder), the level of light (sunny, shaded, partly-shaded), the level of moisture
(dry, mesic, wet) should be marked on each paper bag. If it's raining, try to guess how sunny or dry the
substrate usually is. It may save time to use codes for these microhabitat characters – for example
‘WU CF’ for wet, unshaded cliff face or ‘DS Sand’ for dry, shaded sand.
Each bag should also be labeled with information that links it to the site of collection and to the person
who made the collection. To save field time, some collectors pre-label bags with consecutive
numbers, and then associate collection numbers with site information in a separate field book. This
requires a little extra attention since the pre-labeled bags should ideally be used in numerical order.
6.
Carry a separate bag for bryophyte collections. A large cloth sack will allow damp samples to
breathe instead of soaking and disintegrating their paper collection bags, and will hold together better
than plastic when dragged through the underbrush. In pouring rain, plastic bags may be preferable.
The whole sack can be placed in a backpack or strapped to the outside to free hands for hiking or
scrambling. This arrangement makes it less likely that samples will be lost samples when other
equipment is pulled from the pack.
7.
Dry samples as soon as possible. To prevent mildew damage, paper bags containing samples should
be spread out in a single layer in a dry place right after the collecting trip. If the field trip lasts for
several days, samples should be spread on dry ground in the sun. They should be shifted periodically
until their contents are completely dry. Dry samples can be stored almost indefinitely in their bags, in
a dry place.
Jennifer Doubt, Canadian Museum of Nature, (613) 364-4076; jdoubt@mus-nature.ca
One of many possible ways to label bags or packets
(using permanent ink or dark pencil):
Leave space to roll down top of bag
without losing sight of the information!
Tentative Identification
Date
Habitat/
Microhabitat
Location (descriptive)
Location (co-ordinates)
Photo reference
Collector and collecting number
Jennifer Doubt, Canadian Museum of Nature, (613) 364-4076; jdoubt@mus-nature.ca