Favoritos de bstarzomski

Our first look at H. sitchensis on the peninsula. On one of the first few large sitkas we checked, leaning out of the forest over the beach. This area is open but fairly sheltered from wind, directly below a swathe of big firs beloved by eagles that regularly visit the nearby stream to bathe. Around 5 ft off ground level, on a live defoliated branch maybe 20mm diameter. Thallus was facing ground, substrate branch was positioned behind some fully foliated branches that were suspended over the beach itself. Second pic by @aiva.
Confirmation ID by @eullstrom!

Very thin soil over exposed granite. Leaves 2-3mm, Costa 50-75um wide at base. Not entirely convinced by the basal marginal cells, but the basal juxtacostal cells and the costa seem good for microcarp.

Duplicate observation for plate.

A. Micrograph showing entire gametophyte. Shoot is 3.2 mm tall.
B. Habitat shot showing large conifer tip-up above seasonal pool formed by root divot.
C. Individuals on oxidized, sandy soil under UV light.
D. Detail of gametophytes under daylight.
E. Individual gametophyte isolated in daylight. Shoot is 2.5 mm tall.

Gametophytes, previously reported from this stump. Far smaller than I realized!

Step 1: Consult the iNat app from Port Alberni to confirm the location in a last-second plan before driving to Kennedy Lake.
Step 2: Walk the access road, find a small trail in the right area, and walk until my location dot on the iNat map matches the middle of the cluster of sightings.
Step 3: Spend at least 10 minutes searching the nearby forest for a stump matching the ones in the photos.
Step 4: After finding the right stump, spend another solid 10 minutes in miniature world searching the stump for the ferns, including going back to the photos several times for every clue I could find!

I thought I was looking for something larger, but the biggest ones were only about 2mm in size. Even more fun than Botrychium searches ;-) And I must say, I only saw them through the iPhone lens/screen, as they were too small to really see unassisted.

Now that I've seen them once (with all this tech help), hopefully I can find more!