Carrington’s Featherwort

Various | Curious Nature

Bryophytes are an informal group of mosses, liverworts and hornworts, which are some of the most ancient plant species. Carrington’s featherwort is a liverwort that is limited to just a few sites, growing in the wet, steady climate of mountainous North West Scotland but is also in the Himalayas. Studying this easily overlooked plant can reveal a whole world of variation.

Doing field research

The reference genomes for these 25 species will provide a new powerful tool for researchers to understand them better. However, much work in studying plants and animals is undertaken in the environment in which they are found. And when these species are only found in certain, very specific locations, the researcher has little choice but to go to them.

To reach the sites of Carrington’s featherwort, found high in the mountains of North West Scotland, a scientist needs to be prepared. This means wearing the right clothing for the weather and the terrain, maps and guidance to precisely locate the sites, and tools such as a hand lens and paper packets to inspect and collect samples.

Look closer!

We don’t always take the time but look closely enough, and a whole new world opens up before our eyes.

Look at the variety, shapes and textures of mosses, liverworts and hornworts – the three divisions of the bryophyte group of plants, which are some of the oldest species on Earth.