Specimen #15 Hyperphyscia Lichen Sample 

Figure 1: Shows the green coloration and
the thallus is not inflated. Very flat to the bark. 

Name: Hyperphyscia
Common Name: Neil, I still need to find this
Family: Physciaceae
Collected Date: 9/8/16
Habitat: Found on the bark of trees in shaded dry areas
Location: Nelsons Ledges
Description: Surfaced by hyphae in lower cortex with smaller root like structures. Flat to their surface they are growing on. Thallus is mostly never inflated. Light green in color.
Key Used: http://ohiomosslichen.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KEY-TO-OHIO-GENERA-OF-MACROLICHENS.pdf
Keying Steps:
1. Thallus some shade of gray, green, yellow-green, brown, or black
2. Thallus thick or thin, not gelatinous when wet
3. Rhizines lacking
4. Folisose with narrow lobes
5. Thallus not inflated or perforated, very tightly appressed
6. Thallus gray-brown, usually on bark

Specimen #14 Closterium Algae Sample 

Figure 1: Shows the two chloroplast
separated by the clear center that contains
the nucleus. Crescent-shaped.
  

Name: Closterium
Common Name: Green Algae
Family: Closteriaceae
Collected Date: 9/8/16
Habitat: Common in lakes, ponds, and slow moving streams. Can be abundant in sewage ponds at any time of the year but less frequent in winter.
Location: Nelson's Ledges
Description: Unicellular desmid with elongated cells tapering at both ends. Cells usually crescent shaped, never really straight. There is always two chloroplasts containing lots of pyrenoids- seperated in the middle of the cell by a clear area that contains the nucleus.
Key Used: http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/resources/identification/algae/identification-guide/identify/guide/unicellular/cell-outline-crescent-shaped/closterium
Keying Steps:
1. Algae are unicellular- not joined to neighboring cells
2. Cell outline crescent-shaped with green content
3. Cells large and solitary containing two chloroplasts separated by clear space in cell center

Specimen #13 Hypnum Curvifolium Moss Sample

Figure 1: Over view of the entire sample. Good
Representation of color and shows how closely
compacted the leaves are to the stems

Name: Hypnum Curvifolium
Common Name: Curve Leaf Moss











Family: Hypnaceae
Collected Date: 9/8/16
Habitat: Tree trunk bases most often, but also rotting logs and on top of rocks.
Location: Nelson Ledges
Description: Carpets are shiny, dark green moss, with light green tips. Branches are regularly pinnate and densely covered in leaves. The leaves overlap, with tiny sharp tips curled way under, giving the branches the tight and tidy look of embroidery floss. Not much change when wet and dry. Often times produces a cloud of capsules.
Key Used:Karl B Mcknight, Joseph R Rohrer, Kirsten Mcknight Ward, and Warren J. Perdrizet. 2013. Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians 
Keying Steps:
1. Plants of dry ro very moist habitats, not submerged or kept constantly wet, leaves sickle-shaped on most of the plant
2. Leafy shoots less than 2mm wide, not appearing to be swollen; leaf surfaces flat or pleated lengthwise
3. Leaf bases held more closely to stem, spreading less that 45 degrees. leaf tips curing in the same direction to either side of the stem
4. Leaves curved but not forming ringlets
5. Plants larger
6. Plants branching regularly in pinnate pattern; shoots creeping; leaves appearing tightly braided 
7. Capsules inclined to horizontal, strongly curved 

Specimen #12 Fuligo Specta Slime Mold Sample

Figure 1: Fuligo Specta. Yellow in color.
powdery like substance.

Name: Fuligo Specta 
Common Name: Scramble Egg Slime
Family: Physaraceae
Collected Date: 11/7/16
Habitat: Found on rotten wood or liter or plants
Location: Hiram College Campus
Description: Can be white to yellow- brown in color. Transform into a sponge-like aethalium analogous to the spore-bear fruiting body. Spores have a two-layered wall and dense outer layer with spines and a fibrous inner layer.
Key Used: http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?guide=Mycetozoa_GSMNP
Keying Steps:
1. Fruiting Body type Aethalium
2. Spore mass color bright, dark, and light depending on the type of fuligo specta
3. Peridium can have a lime and some can be found without
4. There can be a true capillitium present while some will not show this particular characteristic

Specimen #11 Trametes Vericolor Mushroom Sample

Figure 1: Shows the coloration throughout the
top of the tranmetes vericolor. 

Figure 2: Can see the hairlike contents on top of the
mushroom. Shows the different coloration's that are
present. Can see the rigid sides.

Figure 3: back side of the
tranmetes vericolor. No gills
present and have tube like
structures. No root system
present.

Name: Trametes Vericolor
Common Name: Turkey Tail
Family: Polyporaceae
Collected Date: 10/22/16
Habitat: Often found in groups, fused rows, or overlapping clusters on dead hardwoods. Also, found on decayed sapwood and can sometimes parasitize fruit trees. 
Location: Hiram College Field Station
Description: Thin and leathery when fresh, rigid or slightly flexible when dry. Cap broad, tongue-shaped becoming fan-shaped or growing in circular rosettes. Plane or wavy, velvety to touch. Hairy zones on top of the fungus. A mixture of white, gray, brown, yellowish-buff. Often can be wavy and white or creamy when actively growing. Flesh is very thin, tough, and white. 
Key Used: David Arora. 1986. Mushroom Demystified
Keying Steps:
1. Not as above so spore-beading surface not composed of tubes 
2. Fruiting body knoblike, hooflike, bracketlike, stalk absent, growing on wood
3. Spore surface exposed; not growing on birch 
4. Not as above.. so pore surface differently colored 
6. Fruiting body normally with cap 
7. Spore-bearing surface with tubes 
8. Not with above features 
9. Not as above so fruiting body usual annual small to medium size 
10. Not as above.. so flesh white to yellow. Sometimes light brown or salmon
11. Not as above so no elongated pores
12. Not as above 
13. Not as above. Usually larger and widely distributed
14. Pore surface red to orange, orange-yellow or salmon in color

Pg 592.
1. Not as above so surface is not bright orange or red
2. Fertile surface not rosy or violet 
3. Not as above so fruiting body is not fleshy
4. Not as above so the tubes are not unequal in length or slotlike
5. Not as above so pores not broken up into teeth like structures
6 Not as above so pore surface is not gray to smoky-brown or black  

Specimen #10 Lycoperdon pyriforme Mushroom Sample

Figure 1: Overview of lycoperdon pyriforme.
Shows pear shape and granules produced
on peridium.

Figure 2: Closer look at the granules produced
on the peridium. skin is cracked which
allows them to pop up.

Figure 3: Lycoperdon pyrifome cross sectioned.
Closer look at the spores in the middle producing
a smooth center. Also can see the granules
sticking off the top of the peridium.

                                                                  
Name: Lycoperdon pyriforme
Common Name: Pear-shaped Puffball
Family: Agaricaceae
Collected Date: 10/22/16
Habitat: Scattered in clusters on stumps, rotting logs, and sawdust. Fruiting mostly in the fall and winter but old bleached out fruiting bodies can be found most of the time.
Location: Hiram College Field Staion
Description: Pear-shaped and has a stem-like sterile base. peridium whitish to pale brown when young. when older yellowish to dark rusty-brown. Smooth at first then becomes finely cracked to form small granules or particles. 
Key Used: David Arora. 1986. Mushroom Demystified
Keying Steps:
1. Not as above.. so fruiting body when young is not dark brown
2. Growing on wood, sawdust, or lingin-rich humus
3. Not as above.. so fruiting body never pitted, usually with white mycelial threads at bade or in surrounding substrate; sterile base well-developed; common and widespread.

Specimen #9 Chlamydomonas Algae Sample

Figure 1: Over view of Chlamydomonas. Green
in color and individual cells not joined
together

Figure 2: Closer look at cells. Able to see the
individual cells and how they are
unicellular

Name: Chlamydomonas
Common Name: Green Algae 
Family: Chlamydomonadaceae
Collected Date:10/22/16
Habitat:Found in the plankton of nutrient-rich lakes and ponds. Can be abundant in sewage ponds at any time of year. Some occur in low-nutrient habitats, soil and even snow.
Location: Hiram College Field Station
Description: Flagella emerge from the cell apex above a clear area in the cell.Flagella may be lost in older cells.  Chloroplasts occur singly and are cup-shaped around the inside of the cell perimeter, but may be deeply divided, incised, or lobed to appear as more than one, and may contain pyrenoids and/or an eyespot. Under some conditions, cells never possess flagella, becoming mucilaginous colonies of stationary cells.  These can still usually be identified because the clear area at the cell apex is still present, where the pulsing vacuoles may still be visible.
Key Used:
Keying Steps:
1. Algae is unicellular- not joined to neighboring cells
2. Cells with rigid cell wall, lacking shallow groove, motile, propelled by one or more waving hair-like structures
3. Ovoid spherical green chloroplasts. Two equal length flagella emerging symmetrically from cell. Cytoplasmic threads are absent 


Key Links Used:
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/resources/identification/algae/identification-guide/identify/guide/unicellular/cell-with-rigid-cell-wall-and-motile/chlamydomonas

Specimen #8 Spirogyra Algae Sample

Figure 1: Overview of Spiragyra. Not fully
zoomed in.

Figure 2: Closer look at the Spiragyra. Cell wall
and color is visible 

Name: Spirogyra
Common Names: Green Algae 
Family: Zygnemataceae
Collected Date: 10/22/16
Habitat: Live in freshwater such as neutral or slightly acidic pH ponds, lakes and slow movign streams and rivers. Grows in short lived ephemeral ponds that build up during wet weather and dry up shortly after.

Location: Given in Lab 

Description: Thallus in un-branched or unattached. Cylindrical cell with one or more green spiraling chloroplasts. Nucleus can be seen in the cell. Muscilage layer coats the filament. The strands feel soapy.
Key Used:
Keying Steps:
1. Algae are filamentous- cells are joined end to end or comprised of ling tubes without cell wall
2. microscopic- magnification is needed to see any detail
3. Filaments are un-branched
4. Chloroplasts visible inside cells are green or yellow-green in color
.5. Cell wall is smooth and featureless; filaments are long and cells are not easily dissociated.


Key Links
http://hseballnotes.blogspot.com/2013/06/spirogyra-general-description-of.html

http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/resources/identification/algae/identification-guide/identify/guide/filamentous/microscopic/unbranched/chloroplasts-green-yellow/wall-featureless/spirogyra

Specimen #7: Calavitia cyathiformis Mushroom Sample

Figure 1: Over view of  Calavitia cyathiformis .
Shows colors. Broken up and shows the spores
found inside

Figure 2; Closer look inside of
Calavitia cyathiformis. Spores are visible 
and abunName: Calavitia cyathiformis 

Common Name: Purple-Spored Puffball
Family: Agaricaceae
Collected Date: 10/22/16
Habitat: Scattered in rings in pastures or other grassy places, mainly found in the fall.
Location: Hiram College Field Station
Description: Nearly round when young, becoming top-shaped or pear-shaped. or round with a flattened top and narrow base. outerlayer of peridium smooth at first, but soon cracking into small, flat sclales or patches.white to tan becoming purpleish-tan. inner layer dark purple-brown, smooth, thin and delicate.
Key Used: David Arora. 1986. Mushroom Demystified.
Keying Steps:
1. Not as above... so no outer layer of fruiting body splitting into several starlike rays which unfold or bend under to expose the inner skin or spore case
2. Spore mass not containing peridoles, or if so then the peridoles are larger than grains of sand
3. Not as above.. so peridoles are absent, spores produced in a single large chamber
4. Not as above.. so skin thick or thin spore mass white when young and normally softening or becoming mushy as it darkens then becomes powdery; basidia unusually borne in a hymenium; capilitium usual present
5. Not as above.. so not underground
6. Not as above.. so no veins running through it
7. Sterile base present, often as a narrowed stemlike base beneath the spore case
8. Fruiting body medium-sized to large, rupturing irregularly
9. Sterile base present, often but not always chambered
10. Not as above.. so does not have warts
11. Not as above.. so outer body not stained yellow when bruised or rubbed
12. not with all above features.. so nor reddish or have red spots
13. spore mass distinctly purple when mature; common in grass or other open areas

Specimen #6 Coltricia cinnamomea Mushroom Sample

Figure 1:  Overview  of  coltricia cinnamomea.
brown and caramel in color.

Figure 2: Back view of coltricia cinnamomea
no visible root system. Back of mushroom have tube
like structures instead of gills

Figure 3: Close up on the tube like structures
on backside of the coltricia cinnamomea

                                                       
Name: Coltricia cinnamomea
Common Names: Fairy Stool
Family: Hymenochaetaceae
Collected Date: 10/22/16
Habitat: Solitary or in small groups on ground or moss in woods, often found on well beaten paths, roadbanks, and in clearings.
Location: Field Station
Description: Very thin, silky-shiny, cinnamon to amber-brown cap, brown pore surface, and reddish-brown to dark brown stem.
Key Used: David Arora. 1986. Mushroom Demystified.
Keying Steps:
1. fruiting body with a stalk, typically appearing terrestrial
2, not above.... so no large pores and pores are not whitish to brown with only one cap
3. Stalk well-developed and distinct from cap, never spongy
4. cap shiny or silky, rarely more than 5 cm broad; pores usually not decurrent

Links Used 
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/coltricia_cinnamomea.html

Specimen #5 Brachythecium rutabulum Moss Sample

Figure 1: Branchythecium rutabulum under
the dissecting scope

Figure 2: Shows how closely placed the leaves
and the branching of the stems

Name: Brachythecium rutabulum
Common Name: Feather Moss
Family: Brachytheciaceae
Collected Date: 9/8/16
Habitat: Mostly found in moist areas such as soil, rocks, rotting logs, or on tree trunks bases. Can be found in shade or forest areas.
Location: Nelsons Ledges 
Description:Shaggy, with creeping arching stems and upright branches divide irregularly and have bright green and yellow tint to them. Leaves are closely spaced and spreading at different angles from the stem.
Key Used: Karl B Mcknight, Joseph R Rohrer, Kirsten Mcknight Ward, and Warren J. Perdrizet. 2013. Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians
Keying Steps:
Step 1: The sample was identified as pleurocarpus 
Step 2: Sickled shaped leaves with no midrib
Step 3: It was found in a forest area in a moist environment
Step 4: The leaves are packed tight closely to the stem with no arranged style
Step 5: the leaves had curves in them at the top but not in a ringlet shape
Step 6: Shoots were found to be tightly braided to each other

There were a lot of different specimens this could have represent but I feel this is the best representation. Based on the color, how tightly placed the leaves are and have no arrange style, very long and the local where I found this sample is a clear indicator it represents Brachythecium rutabulum.

Specimen #4 Leucibryn Glaucum

Figure 1: Cushion Moss Leaf. Magnification
at 4x. As you can see there is no midrib
present.

Figure 2: Magnification of the cushion moss at
10x. Shows the color very well and the shape
of the leafs. you can really tell how long they
can get through this magnification. 

Name:  Leucobryn Glaucum
Common Name: White Cushion Moss
Family: Leucobryaceae
Collected Date: 9/8/16
Habitat:Grows in moist woods or marshes. Basically anywhere there is shade and water. White cushion moss can be found growing on soil, rotted logs based off of living or dead tree trunks or rock ledges.
Location: Nelsons Ledges
Description: Can be white, grayish, or bluish-green and can grow to be about 1-3 inches tall. they usually grow in big clumps or balls. They do not have roots or flowers. Since they do not have roots they absorb water up through its leaves like a sponge. They have spore stalks that are known as their reproductive structures. 
Key Used:Karl B Mcknight, Joseph R Rohrer, Kirsten Mcknight Ward, and Warren J. Perdrizet. 2013. Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians.
Keying Steps:
Step 1: I identified this particular sample as Arocarp
Step 2: There was no midrib present and the leaf was lanced
Step 3: The color of the sample played a major role in the identification of this specimen. These colors were white and a palish blue-green
Step 4: Do not contain capsules

From this information I can conclude that the sample moss present was Leucobryn Glaucum. The main identifiers that support this is how they were clumped together, had a white and palish blue-green look to it, was about 1-3 inches tall and there was no midrib present in the leaf.

Leucobryn Glaucum Links:
http://www2.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/white_cushion_moss.htm

Specimen #3 Schistidium apocarpum, Moss

Figure 1: Schistidium apocarpum dried up. Colors are very
dark green and rusty brown.

Figure 2: Schistidium apocarpum when wet the sprout and have
a more lime green color to them

Figure 3: Shows the midrib in the center of the
leaf. Very visible.

Figure 4: If you look closely you are able to see
the tooth-like structures on the outside of the
leaf. Big identifier as what type of moss it is.

Name: Schistidium

Common Name: Prickly Cannikin Moss 

Family: Grimmiaceae 

Collected Date: 9/8/16

Habitat: Dry rocks, often found in areas with canopy cover. 

Location: Nelsons Ledges 

Description: Grows in patches over rocks mainly. When dry it has a dark brown and green color to it. When wet the leaves are lime green with translucent tips. 

Key Used: Karl B Mcknight, Joseph R Rohrer, Kirsten Mcknight Ward, and Warren J. Perdrizet. 2013. Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians. 

Keying Steps:

Step 1: Noticed plant was dark green/rusty brown. Shoots were loosely associated and densely packed. Leaves not packed and there is a midrib visible. 

Step 2: Plant found on soil, rocks, or logs in dry areas.

Step 3: Leaf surface rippled or wavy when wet

Step 4: leaf midrib conspicuous to leaf tip

Step 5: Midrib fills greater than 1/4 width of upper leaf

Step 6: Outer leaves have sharp like teeth that are transparent

There are lots of different samples that matched but what really gave me the idea of it being Schistidium apocarpum was the tooth-like structures on the leafs. These tooth-like structures are transparent and are found on each leaf. They also have midribs. 

Specimen #2 Marchantia polymorpha 

Figure 1: Marchantia polymorpha 

Figure 2: Up close look at the pores of this
liverwort. 

Name: Marchantia polymorpha 

Common Name: Umbrella Liverwort 

Family: Marchantiaceae 

Collected Date: 9/29/16

Habitat: Grows in moist soil and on rocks in damp habitats. Found on banks of streams, pools, bogs, and fens. Moist environment is the key place. 

Location: South Chagrin Reservation 

Description: Brown and green in color. Flattened thalli with forked branches. The underside is covered by many rhizoids which attach the plant to the soil. They can produce umbrella like reproductive structures known as gametophore.

Key Used: Conard, H.S. and P.L. Redfearn, Jr. 1979. How to Know the Mosses and Liverworts 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, Boston, Mass.

Keying Steps:

Step 1: Saw airpores were visible

Step 2: The capsules on underside had spirally banned elaters 

Step 3: The thalli had open or half cops of gemmae on the thallus

Step 4. Saw that there was archegonia on the underside 

Step 5: Saw that there was a very few long-fingered umbrella like structures which are known as the reproductive structures.

Step 6: Fringed female cups lead me to step #7

Step 7: They generally have thalli with thin scale along the margin beneath which lead me to step #8

Step #8: The thallus was about 1 cm in width

Step #9: There were no sclerenchymatous cells present 

Step #10: The gemmae cups were lined with surface papillae which lead me to the page that represented the liverwort specie Marchantia polymorpha.

Even though there were not any reproductive structures present (umbrellas) I still believe this is the correct identified liverwort. If you look the color of the liverwort and the shape of the leaves give direct evidence that it could be the Marchantia polymorphia. Also, there were rhizoids present which attach them to the sediment and when I picked up this particular sample there were rhizoids (root-like structures) present, 

Specimen #1 Metzgeria furcata, Liverwort

Figure 1: Metzgeria furcata 

Figure 2: Metzgeria furcata at a closer look.

Figure 3: Image showing Metzgeria furcata
midrib and thallus close up under the microscope
magnification 4x

Name: Metzgeria furcata Dum.
Common Name: Forked Veilwort
Family: Metzgeriaceae
Collected Date: 9/27/16
Habitat: They grow on bark of many different tree and shrub species. they can often be found on rocks as well. they have a very slim body size with a translucent thallus. they often form yellow-green mats of branches about 1 mm wide.
Location: South Chagrin Reservation
Description: There is a midrib clearly visible. They have thick slim branches with a bumpy texture. Their colors range from brown, yellow-green, to green depending on what stage they are at.
Key Used:Conard, H.S. and P.L. Redfearn, Jr. 1979. How to Know the Mosses and Liverworts 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, Boston, Mass.

Keying Steps:
Step 1: Saw the thallus without hairs on upper surface
Step 2: Saw there was an underside of midrib 3-7 cells wide
Step 3: Saw marginal hairs in pairs, thallus 2 mm wide
Step 4: led me to the page with Metzgeria furcata which clearly demonstrates the specie I had
Liverwort Links:
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=MEFU4
http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/bbs/Activities/liverworts/Metzgeria%20furcata.pdf