Your 'plantasy'? What would be some of your dream in-the-wild plant observations?

Nature Talk
43

I hope you do. Very were beautiful, both the flowers and the leaves. They didn’t last too long though, they were only around for a month.

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44

Across the Atlantic for me - but I have seen pictures.

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45

A bryophyte that I can identify! The keys are so confusing. Someday I would like to look at mosses in the field and know what they are.

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46

It’s so weird to hear somebody who has seen and knows so much about plants that I would, in a heartbeat, consider truly exotic, talk longingly about a plant that for me, is almost as common as dandelions (in the woods) come spring.

I guess ‘exotic’ truly is a relative adjective!

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47

Me too! Right now, when it comes to mosses, I feel like I’m not even at the base camp of Mt. Stupid.

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48

Physcomitrium pyriforme is a rather distinctive moss, it has an almost cosmopolitan distribution

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49

Thanks for the training-moss suggestion. I checked, and it’s only been observed in a few local botanical gardens around here. But at least that proves it can grow here.

Plus, it really is distinctive enough for even beginners to ID, if I get lucky enough.

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50

I’d absolutely love to find a native orchid, especially a downy rattlesnake plantain or some other Goodyera orchid. My only ever orchid observation is the broad-leaved helleborine, which I only found out was an orchid after I found it.

On the other hand, carnivorous plants would also be cool to find.

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51

I don’t know if it occurs where you are, but Hylocomium splendens can’t really be mistaken for any other moss.

52

I would also suggest Climacium. Large, 3-4 cm tall moss is unlikely to be confused with anything else :)

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53

Dawsonia superba is unmistakable because it’s the tallest moss in the world, 50-60 cm tall or even taller. But it’s only found in Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea.

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54

If you’re counting liverworts as well, Genus Ptilidium is also rather easy to recognize. But there are 3 species in North America so if you’re a beginner telling them apart might be tricky.

55

I noticed 2 unconfirmed observations in the Americas. One in Panama and one in Ecuador. But if they’re not right, it makes me wonder if even the extreme case mosses can be an ID challenge.

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56

Third of your observed plant species are quite exotic!

57

Searched it up, but I can’t find those observations. Maybe someone confirmed that the identification was false.

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58

I rechecked, and our vigilant friend Marina just visited the two I mentioned and has steered things right (they were NOT giant mosses).

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59

Grocery store in the wild. It’s always shocking to find common food-type plants growing where they shouldn’t. So far I’ve seen:

Just from identifying in my area, checking these off my ‘plantasy’ list would be pretty fun too, but I haven’t seen them myself yet:

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60

I was also going to say Aconites -

  1. Aconitum heterophyllum;
  2. A. lethale,
  3. A violeceum
    and then this none aconite :
  4. the Himalayan Blue Poppy Meconopsis betonicifolia

All the above are Himalayan Alpine Plants, located a few days walk from home, I have seen some them but not with a camera in hand.

The below are all international and when some lottery comes my way would love to see these :

  1. This tree on the Robinson Crusoe island Dedroseris neriifolia

  2. The baobabs of Magadasgar

  3. The Hyperion *Sequoia sempervirens* in North West USA

  4. The Centurion * Eucalyptus regnans in Australia

  5. Ceiba pentandra’s of south america

  6. Any of the old bristlecone pine trees - sit under their shade and imagine what the world was when they were a mere stripling sapling - I am not sure anyone is allowed near the Prometheus or any of the really old or tall trees/

And if this plantasy come true I am sure many of the other smaller treasures to be found here would also make the long long list of things see and to be seen.

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61

It’s not legal to visit actually; you can be jailed and fined a huge amount

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62

Definitely some of the endemic orchids to Madagascar or Indochina, and on a more achievable level seeing Sabatia kennedyana and Trichostema nesophilum, which are two East Coast rarities that I missed whilst not searching for them at their locations!

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