Algae
The algae are a large and varied artificial grouping of plants. The largest are the familiar seaweeds, which include the edible ‘dulse’.Most algae in the Museum’s plant collection (herbarium) are preserved as pressed specimens on sheets of paper.William Thompson (1805–1852...

Bryophytes
The bryophytes are divided into two distinct sub-groups, called mosses and liverworts. The moss shown likes humid, shady conditions.    Image: The moss Hookeria lucens (click to enlarge image)

Fungi
Many types of fungi grow in Northern Ireland, ranging in size from the microscopic to the large ‘bracket’ fungi found attached to trees.              Image: Bracket fungus Ganoderma australe (click to enlarge imag...

Lichens
Lichens are fungi that grow in close association with an algal partner.They are very sensitive to chemicals in the air and can be used to assess levels of atmospheric pollution. Image: Lichen specimens from the Museum’s herbarium.

Slime Moulds
Slime moulds (myxomycetes) can be found mainly in woodland, during the damp weather of autumn.They are often very small, but the species shown covers the twigs and branches of trees with a short-lived, slimy, pale grey mass that resembles cold porridge. Image: The slime mould Brefeldia maxim...

Ferns
 The Killarney fern is one of Northern Ireland's rarest plants, known only from a unique cave site in County Antrim, discovered in 1952. It is protected by law. In the mid-nineteenth century many Irish botanists developed ‘Fern-Fever’ a term for a fern collecting craze. They...