COLLECTING BRYOPHYTES CORRECTLY IS VERY IMPORTANT!
When properly curated, your collections will last forever, and will be a permanent record documenting the presence of that plant in that place at that time. So take the time to do it right.
Fortunately, bryophytes are easy to collect and preserve. There is no pressing or mounting involved, all you have to do is dry them, and put them in a permanent packet with the collection data.
How much should you take?
The answer to this question depends on how much of the plant is present. NEVER take more than 20% of the colony. But if there is a decent amount, take enough to fill your palm. If there are capsules or sporophytes, make sure to grab some of them.
How do I get them home?
There are many methods for bagging these plants. Many bryologists just plop the plants in a small brown paper bag with a number written on it. We have found that when you get them home, you have a mass of mushy mess, difficult to dry and process. We believe the best way is to put them in a homemade paper packet. Here's how to make them:
Take an 8.5"x11" piece of paper, and fold it in thirds like you were going to put it into a business envelope:
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Then open the top fold and fold in about 1.25" on each side: |  |
so you have this: |  |
You end up with an envelope with the flap ready to fold back over. Then you can write your collection data on the front flap, put your plant in, and close the flap.
If this is not clear enough see David Wagner's packet folding photos
This is the generic way to make collecting packets, but you can customize the process in several ways. If you use regular copy paper, it works fine so long as you are collecting dry plants. But if you pluck a moss out of a stream, and put it in your packet with all the data written on the flap, before long, the whole packet turns to a soggy mess with blurred writing! You either have to use heavier paper (28 lb. works the best), or waterproof paper like "rite in the rain" paper.
Jim Shevock automates this process by printing collection options on rite in the rain paper and then folding them into collection packets. In the field, he circles the appropriate substrate, habitat, etc. and puts in the plant. You can click on the picture to the left to download this template. When he is ready to put the collection into an herbarium packet, he cuts out the printed and circled label, and sticks it with the plant into the herbarium packet.
Please note that you will need Adobe Reader to see these files. It is available by clicking on this icon: 
I take Jim's method and modifies the generic method differently. I fold the rite in the rain paper into regular collecting packets and then staple a collection data form onto the packet. This saves the time of cutting the collection data form from the packet, and some of the expense of the rite in the rain paper (about 10 cents per sheet). When it comes time to put the collection into the herbarium packet, I just use a staple remover to disconnect the label. I can then staple another form to the collection packet and reuse it. I get 4 forms per sheet of paper. To download a PDF of my template, click on the image at left.
Without a doubt, every experienced collector has their own methods and preferences. These are just a couple ideas that work well. What is important though, is to make sure to get the important information attached to the collection so that future workers can make use of your specimen. Now don't think that just because you are a beginner that your collections are not worth saving! It is very common for beginners in California to find species new to the state. Here is a list of the collection data that should be included:
Collector's name
Collection date
Collection number--a unique number assigned by the collector. These three items allow future workers to unambiguously identify a certain collection. We recommend a consecutive numbering system, without dates or initials included. Just start with 1 for your first collection, and go on from there.
Location --State, County, Township, the name of a state park or national forest,and how someone might be able to return to the rough location of a collection. Something like "2 miles east of the intersection of the Basin trail and the Pony trail" or "Along Hwy 42 near mile marker 25.1"
Substrate--Was the plant growing on rock, bark, soil?
Habitat--Collected in an oak forest, grassland, in a stream, on a lake shore?
Elevation--An estimate is OK
Latitude and Longitude--This is optional, but the advent of handheld GPS units make returning to within 10 meters of a specific site easy. Some people use UTM
Range, Township, Section--Also optional, but certain government agencies require this.
When you get Home
The first thing you want to do is start drying your collections. If you don't, they will become moldy. The easiest way is to take your packets and stand them up like pup tents. You should not need heat, but a weak fan works well. They will probably dry within a day or two, depending on how wet they were.
While they are drying, start preparing at least a draft label, and staple it to the packet. This way, if they sit around for a while, all of the collection information is attached to the collection. Do Not Rely on Your Memory!
When you get serious about collecting anything, you will need some sort of database. With it, you can catalog your collections, and retrieve the information that they generate. If you are clever with computers, you can design one of your own. You would need fields for all of the collection data I mentioned above, and one for species, name authority (the name of the botanist who originally described the species), and others that you might find useful. When done properly, this is a very good route to take, and you can print your labels right from the database, but it takes time. The other plan, for those who do not get along with computer languages, is to buy or download a program. Steve Lodder uses the UC Davis Herbarium Management System, which can be downloaded for free. It has more features than a collector needs, but it can be used to make good labels. Jim Shevock uses Labelquest, a commercial database designed for herbarium labels. It is available only by contacting Lanier Software.
Identifying your Specimens
Here is the difficult part. Presently, there is no comprehensive illustrated flora for any of the groups of bryophytes. The best we have are the Madroño papers by Norris and Shevock (Mosses), and Doyle and Stotler (Liverworts and Hornworts) These three volumes can be ordered with an California Botanical Society Order Form. As our website grows, you may find updates to these treatments on our Advances page. Another resource is the new book "California Mosses" announced on our home page.
One other option is to send a packet to an expert for determination. The protocol is to first ask permission to send the specimen, and once permission is granted, you send the expert a packet with your plant that he/she keeps in exchange for the determination. This is another reason to collect an amount sufficient to split up, so you can keep enough to study once the identification has been made. Make sure that you send a well labeled specimen, as a packet without collection data is useless to everyone, and clues to an ID can be gleaned from this data. After the identification has been made, it is your responsibility to send a completed label to the expert, so that the collection can be stored in the herbarium of the expert's choice.
Permanent Storage
When your plants are dry, and you have identified them, you are ready to put them in permanent packets. If you are planning on donating them to an herbarium, contact them for their specific requirements. But even if you are going to keep them at home, they deserve proper storage. First, we recommend making a packet (just like the collecting packet) out of 100% cotton paper. Then glue a label with typewritten Collection data on to the front flap. Alternatively, you could print out a page with the collection data on the bottom, similar to Jim Shevock's collection packet above. One piece of data that we did not mention above, that should be on the permanent label, is the name of the person who identified the plant, and when they identified it.
Once the permanent packet is ready, simply put your dried plants in it, close the flap and put it in a warm, dry place. They can be stored flat or like cards in a card file. Fortunately, insects do not infest bryophytes very much, so your collections should be safe.