Aloina is a genus of mosses with three species in British Columbia. Although they are very tiny (and hard to photograph!), they are a very distinct group of mosses characterized by individual plants having a few tiny, thick, tongue-shaped, succulent … Continue reading →
Rough fescue (Festuca campestris) is an important species in the grasslands around Kamloops. It is a dominant bunchgrass particularly in middle and upper-elevation grasslands that have only been lightly grazed. It forms “bunches” that are evenly distributed across the landscape. … Continue reading →
Black rock-moss (Andreaea rupestris) may easily be confused for a crustose lichen. It forms brittle, crusty rusty red to blackish patches on exposed rock surfaces and look somewhat similar to many crustose lichens. But with closer examination, you can see … Continue reading →
Peltigera aphthosa Silver-edge pelt is a common and widespread lichen species in the forests of British Columbia. It is common in the Kamloops area in higher elevation Douglas-fir forests where it frequently occurs on the shaded forest floor. There … Continue reading →
Hylocomium splendens Step moss is one of the most well-known and widespread species of moss in British Columbia. It is one of the first “feather mosses” (large branching mosses that dominate the forest floor) that you will find as … Continue reading →
Umbilicaria americana Umbilicaria is a rather large genus of lichens usually found attached to rocks that consist of small rounded lobes that are attached at a single point to the rock by a holdfast. On a recent hike with … Continue reading →
Scouleria aquatica On a recent hike along the Stein River, some of the boulders that were adjacent to or partially submerged in the river had patches of this large, coarse, blackish green moss. The common name for this species is … Continue reading →
Koeleria macrantha Junegrass is one of my favourite native grasses. It is a small attractive bunchgrass that is common in the Kamloops area. It is never a dominant species on the landscape but it is frequently present in middle- … Continue reading →
Entosthodon rubiginosus On a recent trip with the Kamloops Hiking Club we hiked through Painted Bluffs Provincial Park on the north side of Kamloops Lake – a surreal landscape of ridges and valleys devoid of vegetation with soils in various … Continue reading →
Pseudoroegneria spicata (Elymus spicatus) Bluebunch wheatgrass is a widespread and dominant species in the grasslands and dry open forests of southern British Columbia. In undisturbed grasslands, it is usually the dominant species at lower elevations and on steep slopes with … Continue reading →
Tortula ruralis Sidewalk moss is one of the most common mosses in grasslands and dry forests in the Southern Interior. When moist it forms softe green clumps often with red and white highlights. When it is dry, it can … Continue reading →
Umbilicaria hyperborea This lichen is very common and is one of the most common species found on exposed bedrock. It consists of small scaly flaps of tissue in which each flap of tissue or thallus is attached to the bedrock … Continue reading →
