(pl. mosses)
Terms discussed: bryologist (pl. bryologists), bryology
In the early history of botany, back when fungi were "plants", mosses were also rather vaguely defined, and included many lichens and non-mushroom-shaped fungi. "Reindeer moss" is one example. So, although many ancient authors wrote things about "Muscorum" (" mosses"), unless they called them "Muscorum Frondosorum" ("leafy mosses"), their work may also include lichens and fungi. Thus, although Fries is sometimes criticized for putting all lichens in the one genus "Lichen", that may actually have been a significant advance in taxonomic sophistication at the time.
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The study of mosses is called bryology.
