In yesterday’s post, you saw we were sticking as close as we could to the creek. It certainly was not easy traveling on the north side of the creek.
As I said the brush was thick, twenty to thirty feet from the creek’s edge. However, it opened up to this wonderful hillside beyond the brush.
The mosses, ferns and rocks! OH MY!
Mosses glowed in emerald greens!
Holes to peek in! But no we didn’t find anyone staring back. ;-(
A stand of Turban Lichens (Cladonia peziziformis) stood watch over the mosses.
A tiny six or seven millimeter mushroom glowed!
Thalloid liverwort was there as well.
The beautiful Grimmia moss looked ever so inviting! And the crustose lichens were covering what the mosses did not.
However, the coolest find for me was the Woolly Lip Fern (Hemionitis bradburii syn Cheilanthes tomentosa)! It has been on my bucket list for the grasslands. And now we had found a spectacular patch!
The new frond was really hairy!
The sori (where the spores are stored) were covered with hairs too!
So I brought home a small sample to look at the spores. However, there were very few spores left. Looks like a monster was getting ready to eat this spore. LOL
What a nice find, the Woolly Lip Fern! Another one checked off my bucket list for the grasslands.
Wonderful treasures you found there.
That looks like a super interesting unit! That rocky hillside! I will definitely be paying a visit.
👏🏻👍🏼
Congrats on the new-for-you fern! I also love the Grimmia moss. Nice to know its name.
Thanks!