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@utkherbarium.bsky.social Sep 28, 2026, 12:01 PM

Yellow moosedung moss from the Russian taiga produces a dung-like odor that attracts flies to carry its spores from one pile of dung to the next. An ingenious solution for life on a scattered, temporary substrate.

#DungMoss #Bryology #HerbariumSpecimen

Herbarium specimen of yellow moosedung moss, Splachnum luteum. Dozens of very slender reddish-brown sporophyte stalks rise above the moss, many topped by pale yellow, umbrella-shaped structures. The specimen is mounted on a small sheet against a brown herbarium packet. Text reads “Yellow moosedung moss” and “Splachnum luteum.

Close-up of the upper portion of the Splachnum luteum specimen, showing numerous long, thin reddish-brown sporophyte stalks. Several are topped by broad, pale yellow, umbrella-shaped hypophyses. Two black arrows point to examples beneath the word “Hypophyses."

Close-up of the specimen’s original herbarium label from the Botanical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. The label contains the scientific name Splachnum luteum and several lines of handwritten Russian cursive that have not been fully deciphered. The year 1983 and collection number 18/4 are visible. Text below asks, “Can you read this dung moss label?”

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