Anacolia menziesii sensu lato (Bartramiaceae) is a common and widespread moss in western North America that has been treated as either a single variable species or two distinct taxa, A. menziesii s.s. and A. baueri, with the two variously interpreted as species or subspecies. Interpretation has been hampered historically because the primary character used to separate the two entities, capsule shape, is absent on most specimens of this dioicous moss, and gametophytes have not yielded characters that can be used to separate the two putative entities with confidence. Here, we quantified previously categorical traits to test whether morphological characters are continuous across the geographic range or whether discrete morphological groups exist within A. menziesii s.l. We found that quantitative sporophyte characters replacing analogous categorical characters support the recognition of two entities, and that quantitative gametophyte characters also support the recognition of two entities. Furthermore, the two morphologically defined entities are overlapping geographically but have distinctive ecological niches. This provides strong evidence supporting the recognition of two species and provides new tools for separating sterile material.

The lichen biota of eastern North America is fairly well-documented with most taxa reported from terrestrial ecosystems. While some taxa are described as living near water bodies potentially subjected to inundation, no amphibious lichen communities have been described. To address this gap in our understanding of the region's lichen ecology, thirteen rocky river sites in two river basins of central North Carolina, U.S.A. were explored for amphibious and riparian lichen biotas during periods of low water level, restricted to saxicolous species subjected to inundation, however infrequent. Specimens of encountered taxa were collected and their heights above water level were measured during field visits. Three communities were discerned from field observations in increasing height from low water level, here termed: Mesic Fluvial, Xeric Fluvial and Riparian. These communities are described in terms of species number and composition, height above water, functional traits and taxonomic class composition, as well as characteristic species both in open riverscour and shaded rocky riverbank habitats. From measured heights, two trimlines are described separating the three communities: Fluvial Trimline, often co-occurring with a band of deposited silt, and Riparian Trimline. With the use of nearby stream gage height data, percent inundation for the 2023 water year was estimated for the three communities as 3–10 months for Mesic Fluvial, 0.5–4 months per year for Xeric Fluvial, and < 1–3 months for Riparian lichens. Environmental variables were explored for relationships with the three communities, finding the most significant positive relationships between Mesic Fluvial species richness and several stream physical and water chemistry variables. Recommendations for future stream lichen surveys are offered.

An anatomically preserved moss gametophyte has been discovered in a marine carbonate concretion from the Baculites Hill locality, James Ross Island, Antarctica. The concretion is derived from the Late Cretaceous Beta Member of the Santa Marta Formation, dated as early to middle Campanian (ca. 80 Ma). The moss has actinomorphic stems with alternate branching, spiral, patent leaf arrangement and large numbers of attached rhizoids. The largest stem is 210 µm in diameter with the largest branch measuring up to 3.7 mm long and 90–100 µm wide. Most stems appear to contain a distinct conducting strand. Cross sections show that the leaves are strongly plicate with a simple D-shaped costal anatomy and unistratose laminae typically with bistratose margins. Leaves range from 650–700 µm wide and at least 700 µm long. The costa appears percurrent, 90 µm wide and 55 µm thick. Laminar cells are elongate, rhomboidal, L/W = 5:1. No ornamentation or papillae have been observed on the upper medial cells of the leaf. These fossils show leaf morphology and costal anatomy similar to several orders of acrocarpous mosses, in the Dicranidae including species of the family Rhabdoweisiaceae. While the combination of characters does not fit into any known genus, it suggests that this moss represents a fossil member of the Dicranales s.l. To date, this represents the most completely preserved moss gametophyte from Gondwana.