Hello, My school project has me collecting pictures of the below items. I have been in the woods and to nurseries and have taken some photos. The problem is that I am unsure of what some of the items that I have taken photos of are. If I post some pictures, can someone help me figure it out? School Project Plant collection 1. A fungus - found this 2. An algae - found this 3. A lichen 4. A moss gametophyte 5. A moss sporophyte 6. A fern - found this 7. A club moss 8. A horsetail 9. A one year old gymnosperm megastrobilus. think i found this but not sure of the age 10. A two year old female pine cone- think i found this but again unsure of age 11. A gymnosperm that is not a conifer or member of the division Pinophyta - Cycad? 12. A monocot flower 13. A dicot flower 14. An herbaceous perennial 15. Heart wood and sapwood - found this
Hello botanystudent101, You are welcome to post the photos and ask questions. Go ahead and post any photos relating to your project in this thread and I am sure Forum readers will be able to help you. To attach images: Basically, when posting if you scroll down below the message box you will find Additional Options. Click on Manage Attachments, browse and upload the desired file from your computer. Image does not appear in preview; image will appear after you post your message. (don't forget to upload) Make sure your images are not too large. 600x800 pixels or so is a good size.
Thank you. Here are some. I am looking at the white stuff on the trees, and the moss. How do u tell if you have a picture of a moss sporophyte and/or gametophyte? I think the one pic is a lichen, but not positive. I will post more once I get them scanned in. Thank you so much, I still need to find some items, so if you have any suggestions on where to look, please let me know. Namely, club moss and horsetails.
Hey botanystudent101, I may have spoken too soon when I said that I was sure Forum readers would be able to help you. Moss ID is very difficult. Initially I thought that the little red bits in the first group of photos might be sporophytes, but looking at their distribution in the photo I think they may just be debris fallen onto the moss (tree buds or something). Part of the difficulty is the tiny nature of such structures. They are difficult to photgraph. It looks to me like there are lichens on the log in the second picture and possible a fungus as well, but I am no expert, only trying to stir conversation and hoping that more studied people come along to help. Look for club mosses and horsetails in wet and boggy areas. I suppose that is obvious. If you do some (image) searches for mosses, sporophytes, etc. you get a lot of sites that offer great pictures taken with macro lenses that reveal the structures you are seeking. That would be a good way to help identify what you have in your photos.
Botany101, Your list for class looks very similar to mine. Are you taking Intro Botany at AACC? Anywho, the log with the white on it does seem to be a lichen. As far as the moss, the pics are a bit too small to tell which phase they are. I lucked out and found a large patch of moss sporophytes that actually looked like bright green grass until I looked closer and was able to see the capsules. I still had to take a VERY close up picture. I too am searching for the club moss and horsetail. They seem to be a bit evasive. Good luck. I am attaching a pic of moss with a few spore capsules, so you have an idea of how tiny these are compared to an oak leaf.