Masterclass

Sarah Ryan reveals 10 mosses and lichens you could spot in the hills, and explains why you’ll want to search them out.

Know your mosses and lichens

MAP LICHEN ( RHIZOCARPON GEOGRAPHICUM)

Map lichen is one of the most familiar lichens to mountain lovers, easily identifiable by the fact that it looks like landmasses on a map – bright yellowgreen and black around the margins. The places it is found, spreading across exposed granite and sandstone rocks, give a clue to its hardiness but reach nowhere near its limit. It is thought to be the oldest living organism on Earth, with specimens in the Arctic estimated at 8600 years. But that’s not the limit either. For a 2010 study, it was launched into space and exposed to full space conditions for 10 days, including extreme cold and the full spectrum of solar radiation. It came back basically fine.

REINDEER LICHEN

( CLADONIA PORTENTOSA)

Pale and forming antler-like branches, reindeer lichen grows mainly above the treeline and is extremely tolerant of cold. When damp, its tubular branches are soft, becoming brittle when it dries out. It’s also the main foodstuff of the naturalised Cairngorm reindeer herd.

DEVIL’S MATCHSTICKS ( CLADONIA SP.)

Tall and scarlet-tipped, these are among the easiest lichens to spot, and are commonly seen on peat hags or near paths through blanket bog. There are actually many different varieties of this lichen family, including the goblet-shaped green pixie cups.

DOG TOOTH LICHEN ( PELTIGERA MEMBRANACEA) Under the large, plate-like leaves of dog tooth lichen are the long white ‘teeth’ which give it its name. These are actually rhizines, which anchor it to the surface it’s growing over but don’t absorb moisture or nutrients. Because of this tooth-looking feature, it was once believed to be a cure for rabies.

OLD MAN’S BEARD (USNEA SP.) Often seen in ancient woodland, dangling from the branches of mature trees in hairy clumps. Old Man’s Beard flourishes in clean air and is sensitive to pollution.

SPHAGNUM MOSSES ( SPHAGNUM SP.)

Famed as a wild campers’ toilet roll, sphagnum mosses are common across peat bogs, marshland, heath and moorland. There are many species but all are essential to the formation of a peat bog, some absorbing up to 26 times their own weight in water and retaining moisture even after the soil has dried out. By keeping water levels high, sphagnum prevents dead plant matter from fully decomposing and after hundreds of years of compaction, this plant mush becomes peat. If anyone falls in that peat, it’s sphagnum that will preserve them for centuries, like the Iron Age Lindow Man discovered in 1984. The same absorbency and antiseptic properties that make it excellent bog roll also made it a common battle wound dressing, used until WWII.

WOOLLY FRINGE MOSS ( RACOMITRIUM LANUGINOSUM) A dull grey-green with wispy white tendrils, the woolly fringe moss is fairly easy to spot. It particularly likes rocky, weather-beaten places and scree fields but will pop up in acidic bogs too.

HEATH PLAIT-MOSS

( HYPNUM JUTLANDICUM)

Found as often in conifer plantations as in upland heath and grassland. The leaves on each distinct branch have a soft feathery look and overlap one another, looking like a plait of green hair.

COMMON HAIRCAP ( POLYTRICHUM COMMUNE) Common haircap is usually a vibrant green and grows straight upright in hummocks, with a star-like formation when seen from above. It likes wet places and can grow up to 20cm long, making it the largest moss in the UK.

RED-STEMMED FEATHER-MOSS ( PLEUROZIUM SCHREBERI) This one looks exactly like its name, with a thin scarlet stem, fleshy pale green leaves and a simple, fern-like shape. Often found in boggy ground alongside heather and cotton-grass, or on wind-battered ridges.

FIR CLUBMOSS (NOT ACTUALLY A MOSS)

Despite its name, the fir clubmoss is technically a herbaceous plant – not a moss. There are seven varieties of clubmoss in the UK – this one grows upright, looking a bit like a tiny conifer. If you find one sprawling flat through heather, it’s more likely to be Stagshorn Clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum).