Autumnal Riccia Season: Where to look and what you might find
A remarkably gifted bryologist suggested that I check out the shores of Shushwap Lake. When I got there, I was completely overwhelmed by the quantity of amazing Riccias along the shoreline. The pomegranite reds of Riccia frostii were overwhelming in their variety and abundance. This species, like many Riccias in BC seems to be underrepresented in collections, so there is much to be discovered about its distribution.
This time of year marks low waters on the rivers and lakes around most of the province. The genus Riccia seems to like water-retentive clays and silts of fine soils and sediments in seasonally drying habitats. If you are looking for a weekend treasure hunt, this is the time of year to get out to riverbanks, lakes, ponds and sloughs. I am pasting below google maps satellite views for examples of "good" Riccia habitats followed by the links to the 10 species that you might see looking happy at this time of year in those places. Please tag me if you see anything.
Fine silt and compacted clay river banks
https://goo.gl/maps/G5Av1XGfL3i4L7bT7
https://goo.gl/maps/uJt9GVbnR2WUX9HRA
Riccia frostii
Riccia cavernosa
Riccia hueberiana
Fine silt lake margins
https://goo.gl/maps/LgcCwzvkaPw3Xr8N6
Riccia frostii
Riccia cavernosa
Ricciocarpos natans
Drying lake beds
https://goo.gl/maps/vs19VGZNvneSf29z8
Riccia glauca
Riccia trichocarpa
Riccia beyrichiana
Subalpine sloughs
https://goo.gl/maps/j9Pay16HvBrLT6dv9
Riccia sorocarpa
Stagnant water bodies (shallow ponds, lakes, backwaters)
https://goo.gl/maps/7pa5afwfkJQYU7iR8
Riccia fluitans
Riccia rhenena (not yet reported from BC but possible and easily mistaken for fluitans)
Ricciocarpos natans
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Frost's Crystalwort (Riccia frostii)Observer
rambryumDescription
Locality tip off for Riccia and Ricciocarpos by Steve J/ All observations from moist silty margins of receding lakeshore.
Comments
@fmcghee @bradenjudson @bstarzomski @dbltucker @johndreynolds @mattunitis @jamie_fenneman @jbindernagel @chlorophilia @cwardrop @ryan_durand @aksimpson @judithofsquamish @chloe_and_trevor this is a BOLO call. Be on the lookout. Alternately: BRYOPHYTE ONLY LIVE ONCE .
The fun doesn't stop in Fall, thanks Randall
Happy Riccia season to all who celebrate! The most magical time of year :) Hope we can plan some trips together folks!
This is a fine quest! Thanks, Randall
Feels good to have glauca on the list! Keep it going!
Feels bad when the last good Riccia frostii record in my area is from the 19th century.
@mattunitis how about here:
https://goo.gl/maps/xzJ6qn2Z9rPeyibA8
@rambryum That and Rooster Rock to the east might be a decent bet.
@mattunitis s I just looked at the extent of the Columbia River Estuary and it looks like the tidal influence extends to the Bonneville Dam. That would about wipe out all habitat to the west of the dam. The associated plants that I can think of are Botrydium (a terrestrial algae), Riccia cavernosa, Ephemerum spinulosum & Physcomitrella patens. Here is a record from near Portland for Physcomitrella:
https://oregonflora.org/collections/individual/index.php?occid=676404
Thanks so much for the heads up - have a few spots where I hope I might just find some :-)
Thanks so much for the heads up - have a few spots where I hope I might just find some :-)
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