The moss family Calymperaceae

The moss-ladened trunk of a coconut palm near the coast on the island of Moorea, French Polynesia, in the vicinity of U C Berkeley's Gump Research Station.

Several different species in the moss family Calymperaceae are growing at the Field Station. Species in this family are the dominant epiphytes in tropical lowland forests. The systematics and evolution of this family is the subject of a large National Science Foundation grant awarded to Professor Brent D. Mishler's lab in the Department of Integrative Biology under the PEET program (Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy).

Photo submitted by Brent D. Mishler.