Category: Bryophyte

We started the field meeting at a small lay-by in Legburthwaite with a good turnout of around 10 bryologists. A last-minute illness meant our group lead was unfortunately unable to attend, but we still set off up the trail to High Rigg with a hopeful outlook on a drizzly but mild November day.

A brief hike up the path to Wren Crag brought us into monad NY3120 where we started our species recording on a rocky slope, finding many common upland species including Polytrichum alpinum, Orthocaulis floerkei, and Pogonatum urnigerum. There were signs of oceanic climate indicators in the rocky outcrops and sheltered crevices, particularly the liverworts Scapania gracilis and the more restricted Orthocaulis atlantica, distinguished from the aforementioned O. floerkei by the presence of red gemmae. Other liverworts here included both Lophozia excisa (with red gemmae and abundant perianths) and Lophozia sudetica (with many brownish gemmae and eroded leaves on gemmiferous shoots). The moss Leptodontium flexifolium caused some confusion. It looked rather like a Pohlia and was only identified under the microscope from its very papillose cells and large marginal teeth. It occurred in two forms in two different locations on the site: one small, looking rather like a Barbula species, and the other with more drawn-out shoots and deciduous bulbiform branchlets looking rather like Pohlia bulbils. It is fairly common in such acid habitats as this but we may be tending to overlook it as a Barbula.  

After an ambling climb uphill, we decided to pick up the pace and push further into the centre of the monad towards some promising mires and pools surrounding the High Rigg trail. While many distracting crags were found along the way, the wet heaths provided some great common acid indicator species such as Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens. As we headed down into the mire, the species composition suggested a base enrichment entering via the springs and flushes in the area, and the Sphagnum species composition highlighted this variance nicely. The group quickly totalled up thirteen species of sphagnum, including Sphagnum russowii, S. girgensohnii, and S. auriculatum in good numbers in the base-enriched areas. The base influence was also supported by further discoveries of Calliergon giganteum around a pool and Hypnum cupressiforme var. lacunosum appearing on the surrounding slopes and scree.

After a quick stop for lunch the group decided to head back down the path to enter the monad from a lower location via a riverside path. Here a few of our members parted ways and a smaller group headed out to explore the lightly wooded scree slopes on the east-facing side of Wren Crag.

The find of the day was Ptilium crista-castrensis which appeared in surprisingly large numbers across the slope, with several well-established patches discovered during the afternoon. Spirits were further raised by the discovery of the western species Frullania fragifolia, an almost-black liverwort that lives up to its name; the fragile leaves practically fall off in your hands!

Overall, we recorded 107 species of bryophyte, and the site provided a good variety of different habitats to reinforce upland species learning. With many beginners on this trip, it provided a great opportunity for knowledge sharing and conversations around how and why our species form different distributions in the uplands and in microhabitats. Thanks to everyone that attended and contributed to species recording!

Text: Josie Niemira
Photos: Josie Niemira

A small group (Clare Shaw, Kerry Milligan, Paul Ross, Judith Allinson, David Shaw) met at a parking layby on Leck Fell, just before Leck Fell House. We then trekked down the fell towards the beck, through deep heather and bracken, aiming for the less steep access point upstream of Ease Gill Kirk. The stream bed was totally dry, as the area is limestone and full of pot holes and sink holes, so the water drains away for long stretches.

In the overhand of a bank above the beck, Paul found a lovely patch of very fertile Seligeria recurvata, which we all admired. Rocks in and by the beck had Barbilophozia barbata and Barbilophozia atlantica with its distinctive red gemmae. A Grimmia growing on limestone, which seemed a candidate for G. dissimulata, turned out to be G. trichophylla.

We descended the beck into Ease Gill Kirk. Wet rock faces had abundant Chiloscyphus polyanthos, while a large boulder in the beck had Encalypta vulgaris (sadly without capsules) and a reddish Mnium marginatum.

A rock face and steep slope above the beck just upstream of Ease Gill Kirk had Marchesinia Mackai and Orthothecium intricatum, with Gymnostomum aeruginosum and Trichostomum crispulum and T. brachydontium at the base.

Judith and I left after lunch for the long-seeming trek back to the car across the difficult ground, but now with a steep uphill gradient to contend with.

After lunch a few more species were added to the list, including Dicranella rufescens and Metzgeria pubescens, adding up to a very respectable 98 species altogether.

Text: Clare Shaw

Peter Bullard and I met up with a larger group of lichenologists for our field trip to Alcock Tarn. Parking in free parking areas in quarries on the minor road above the A592, we walked up the road and were soon climbing in sunshine on a good track. Alcock Tarn is at the far end of the monad, so we had a whole monad of footpath and surrounding areas to record in a single recording sheet, always something of a relief. We soon stopped to admire lichens and bryophytes on small rock faces by the track, including Bryum capillare, Orthocaulis floerkei, Andreaea rupestris, Racomitrium fasciculare and Racomitrium heterostichum. The track itself had good quantities of Polytrichum piliferum, with its distinctive hyaline hair point, and small Oligotrichum hercyanum, quite a common moss but restricted to acid soils in upland districts, where it is often seen on footpaths and tracks. Always lovely to see, it is clearly recognisable under a hand lens by its frilled ruff of wavy ridges (lamellae), often hiding within the inrolled margins of the leaf. In the same family, we later found Pogonatum aloides and Pogonatum urnigerum, which was a good opportunity to compare the features of the different species.

The lichenologists were having a lengthy tutorial session, so Peter and I decided to move on up the track. We found further boulders and rock faces, with an interesting small, dark Marsupella emarginata, which we speculated might be var pearsonii. Sadly, later examination suggested that the commoner (even ubiquitous) var. emarginata was more likely, as the pigment was dark brown without clearly reddish tints, and there was no sign of any apiculate lobes. The same rock did however have a nice example of Scapania compacta and Andreaea rothii.

Higher up, the path crossed a small beck which provided some good bryophyte habitats. Where the beck went under the bridge there was plenty of golden Sciuro-hypnum plumosum, Hygrohypnum luridum with abundant sporophytes and Rhynchostegium riparioides. Further down the beck was Chiloscyphus polyanthos s.l. a lovely patch of shiny Bryum julaceum on a rock, while an old tree had Lejeunea lamacerina, Metzgeria furcata and Frullania dilatata. At this point we were joined by Georgia Stephens, the new Rainforest advisor with Plantlife, who had come to learn more about bryophytes in the region, so we ran through some of our finds and headed up to the tarn, where we stopped for lunch.

The tarn was enlarged in the 19^th century with a stone and earth dam and has a fair amount of infrastructure, including a concrete outlet. This had abundant golden Sciuro-hypnum plumosum, while in the wetter parts at the base we found Dichodontium flavescens, Pellia epiphylla, Conocephalum conicum, and a small Fissidens which turned out to be Fissidens bryoides. There was a boggy area around beck exiting the tarn, which we scoured for Sphagnum. We eventually found a few patches by the beck, and went through the Sphagnum Field Guide key, identifying S. palustre, S. rubellum and S. subnitens, growing with Aulacomnium palustre. Among the hummocks of molinia we also found Calypogeia arguta and Plagiomnium elatum.

The afternoon was wearing on so we headed back to the car, meeting some lichenologists on the way. We didn’t have a very long list, but we’d had a very pleasant afternoon and done a lot of useful revision and consolidation!

Text: Clare Shaw
Photos: Clare Shaw and Peter Bullard

Despite the forecast of  heavy rain all day, a respectable group gathered in Brampton to share cars to Askerton Castle. Mollen Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)  is part of the Askerton Castle Organic Estate which lies 3km north of Hadrian’s Wall and about 15k south of the Scottish Border. The estate’s owners had  kindly granted access to the wood and permission to park at the farm, a kilometre to the south.  At 30ha the  SSSI is quite small, but is still one of the largest areas of wet Alder woodland remaining  in East Cumbria. Overlying  Carboniferous shales, it has a range of soil types from acidic to moderately base rich. There  are surprisingly few  existing records of lichens or bryophytes from the site, which was one of the motivations for the visit.

After a brisk walk along the road, the bryophyte contingent left the lichen party and plunged into the largest section of the SSSI (Mollen Wood sensu stricto). The lower part was very wet indeed and dominated almost exclusively by  Alder with old multi-stemmed trees and plenty of dead wood. A range of common mosses including Thuidium tamariscinum, Isothecium myosuroides. I alopecuroides,  Mnium hornum,  Calliergonella cuspidata and Polytrichum formosum were quickly found.  Closer inspection of the deadwood produced the  liverworts Lepidozia reptans and Riccardia palmata, and the diminutive moss Tetraphis pellucida with its distinctive gemmae cups. The numerous small watercourses flowing down into this area proved interesting with the mosses Ctenidium  molluscum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Sciurophypnum plumosum and Platyhypnidium riparoides,  and the liverworts Plagiochila porelloides and Scapania undulata all recorded here.  Patches of the rather liverwort-like moss  Hookeria lucens, with its huge cells easily visible under a x10 handlens, was present, and a single small patch of the attractive liverwort Trichocolea tomentella (Handsome Woollywort) was also found.

As we moved up-slope there was a gradual transition to drier, more acidic soils with a different suite of bryophytes present including Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Scapania gracilis, Loeskeobryum brevirostre, Dicranum majus and Hylocomium splendens. Dicranodontium denutatum  was frequent on dead wood, often with the liverwort Barbilophozia attenuata growing through it. Perhaps the two star finds of the day were Tritomaria exscecta and T exsectiformis growing  quite close together. These tiny  very similar liverworts live amongst other bryophytes  and are usually only found due to the red gemmae present on the leaf tips. Examination under the microscope is needed to see rounded  gemmae of T exsecta and the angular gemmae of  T exsectiformis. 

Despite the wetness of the site, it was late afternoon before we encountered any sphagna. A large patch of Sphagnum palustre with some S inundatum were found in a spring as we left the site. Ditches in the adjacent pasture also provided a diversion on the way back to the road with  Palustriella commutata, P falcata and Philonotis fontana amongst other things.

In the end  the rain mostly missed this remote corner of Cumbria and the group had a very interesting and enjoyable day. A total of  74 species were recorded  for monad NY5670.

Report by Kerry Milligan

Photos: Paul Ross (PR), Belinda Lloyd (BL), Ian Burrow (IB) and Kerry Milligan (KM)

Three of us from CLBG (joined by David Shaw, a new member from Silverdale) ventured into new territory with a trip to Birk Bank, on the slopes of Clougha Pike in VC60 (Lancashire!). Paul Ross had previously visited the site, finding Colura calyptrifolia and Lepidozia cupressina, and thought it warranted further exploration. With woodland, quarries, block scree, a stream and flushes, the target monad had a good range of habitats. The underlying geology is acidic gritstone, but there was clearly some base-rich influence coming from somewhere as the flushes had various calcicole species, further increasing the range of species.

From the car park on Rigg Lane, we followed a dilapidated boardwalk around a mire and a path up into woodland, where we started recording. A stand of gorse had some fine patches of Colura calyptrifolia with starry perianths, while the mature oak trees had Cryphaea heteromalla, Metzgeria furcata, M. violacea and M. consanguinea, Microlejeunea ulicina and Cololejeunea minutissima, Ulota phyllantha and Orthotrichum pulchellum. Heading uphill, the edges of a flush had Sphagnum denticulatum and S. palustre, with Odontoschisma sphagni seemingly growing directly in the flush. Tree stumps had good quantities of Tetraphis pellucida, Lepidozia reptans and Barbilophozia attenuata, and further up the slope was Bazzania trilobata. The woodland gave way to a large area of block scree, and here Kerry found a good patch of Lepidozia cupressina, at a different location to that found previously by Paul. On the way down, an undercut with expanses of bare soil had some bluish looking Calypogeia which disappointingly turned out to be C. fissa, and Dicranella heteromalla. Elsewhere, Calypogeia arguta and C. muelleriana were also found. At the base of the slope were several base-rich flushes, with Palustriella commutata, Pellia endivifolia and P. epiphylla, Dichodontium pellucidum and a small, light green Dichodontium which under the microscope showed all the characteristics of D. flavescens. The edge of a small stream had Riccardia multifida, with a small, interesting looking Fissidens growing through it, which was later identified by Sharon Pilkington as probably an atypical F. adianthoides. We had lunch on the banks of the main stream through the woodland, where Hyocomium armoricum was growing thickly.

After lunch, we followed the stream up into open hillside, where large boulders on the bank were thickly covered with Scapania umbrosa and Tritomaria exsectiformis, then took a path over a stile to further areas of scree and a north-facing slope where Mylia taylorii was growing. At that point we decided to call it a day, as we had plenty of species to take home and check. The final species list was tantalizingly close to 100 at 97. Perhaps we should just check through those packets again in case we missed anything … A return visit to other parts of the monad or adjacent squares would surely be worthwhile.
Text: Clare Shaw. Photos: Clare Shaw and Paul Ross

It was great to welcome a number of new faces amongst the dozen bryologists who assembled in the ample parking area, ready for the fray. The group’s chosen modus operandi, holding field visits which fall on various days of the week including Sundays, is clearly working, allowing people the option to attend when it suits. It surely also helped that Sunday’s forecast was reasonable, and improving, as the day progressed. In truth, the weather was superb for February, everyone enjoying the sunshine, the extensive views from the top of the scarp, and of course the chance to look at mosses without rain!

Whitbarrow is a limestone scar – essentially, the compressed remains of uncounted billions of sea creatures from 350 million years ago, which died and sank to the bottom of the shallow tropical sea, their skeletons of white calcium carbonate slowly turning into Carboniferous Limestone. The tectonic plate drifted from the tropics, to a higher latitude, was uplifted, and now the Scar stands a “mighty” 210m (at highest point) above sea-level, here in Cumbria. Given that it sit on a coastal plain, its modest height nevertheless gives Whitbarrow superb views, both out across the bay, and inland to the higher, more acid hills of the central lakes.

The limestone creates habitats and bryophyte communities which are quite uncommon in Cumbria (have a look at a geological map – there’s not many places where limestone exposures exist). Bryophytes, just like lichens, are sensitive to underlying pH, so the alkaline conditions created on limestone allow a suite of liverwort and moss specialist “calcicoles” to evolve. (Calci = calcium, –colere = “inhabit”, so “things which inhabit calcium-rich areas”). Although soils and seepage water derived from limestone are indeed strongly alkaline, the situation is complicated by the presence of loess (wind deposited sediments) and the development of humus-rich soils in pockets on the limestone, which over time become leached by the glorious Cumbrian rain, and so can become really rather acid in pH. Pockets of acid soil, in a predominantly alkaline habitat, means that the bryophyte communities are rich and varied, and create mosaics where calcicolous and acidophile species can sit side by side. A case in point? We came across two Riccia species, neither of which are all that commonly recorded in Cumbria. Riccias are a group of small liverworts which are colonists of bare, wet, mud – they pack their life cycle into a short time (whilst the mud is wet) and exist as spores in the long dry spells. Riccia beyrichiana grows on acid soils, whereas Riccia sorocarpa is a calcicole. They were two metres apart.

The main objective for the day was to record on Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Hervey Reserve which includes Lords Seat, the highest point on the scar. Despite being a National Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation, there are several monads on Whitbarrow with surprisingly few records. We climbed the steep path through the wood trying to resist the urge to stop and look at the abundant mosses and liverworts present as this was outside the target square. Once over the stile and into SD4486, the pace slowed as the mosaic of limestone grassland, woodland, and broken rock and scree of the Park Limestone were closely examined. The calcicoles Ctenidium molluscum, Neckera crispa and Tortella tortuosa were conspicuous at almost every stop, and there were fine patches of Flexitrichum (formerly Ditrichum) gracile in places. Closer inspection of some of the Tortella revealed the presence of the uncommon Tortella densa. Acidophiles such as Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum jutlandicum and Polytrichum formosum, and more generalist species such as Thuidium tamariscinum, Pseudoscleropodium purum and Dicranum scoparium were also frequent in the grassland. Close inspection of the ant-hills revealed the identities of numerous small acrocarps (unbranched mosses) including Bryum dichotomum with bulbils visible on the shoot tips, Weissia controversa with abundant capsules, and Barbula convoluta.

After lunch just below Lord’s Seat, we dropped down the dip slope and onto the Urswick Limestone with its distinctive pavements. Here Clare found Rhytidium rugosum growing with (and looking very like) Hypnum cupressiforme var lacunosum (formerly Hypnum lacunosum), and soon we were spotting it everywhere! Rob found Marchantia (formerly Preissia) quadrata growing on the low cliffs, and we also found Tortella nitida here, helpfully growing with T densa and T tortuosa for comparison.  Argles Tarn was an obvious place to visit as a ‘bonus habitat’. The relatively uncommon Campyliadelphus elodes had previously been recorded here and we may have found a small amount growing on pavement near the tarn margin, but this is still to be confirmed. Calliergonella cuspidata and Scorpidium cossonii were also found here. The developing Hazel woodland around the tarn proved to be of interest too, with numerous “corticolous” (on wood) species including the liverworts Myriocoleopsis (formerly Cololejeunia) minutissima, Radula complanata, Metzgeria violacea and Ricardia palmata. On our way back, Campylopus fragilis and Encalypta streptocarpa were added to the list, which at the time of writing stands at 77 species for SD4486.

Report by Gary Lawrence and Kerry Milligan

Photos by Paul Ross (PR), Clare Shaw (CS), Peter Bullard (PB) Gary Lawrence (GL) and Kerry Milligan (KM)

The weather forecast for 10 December was for non-stop double rain all day, so it was a small and determined group that met at Swindale, three of us looking at bryophytes (Ian, Kerry and Clare) and Caz and Chris looking for lichens. We headed up the valley along the road, wading at times through deep puddles, to reach the bridge by the stepping stones over Swindale Beck. then followed the path to Gouthercrag Gill.

The first stop was by the bridge over the gill. There were many Racomitrium species on rocks near the water, including R. aciculare by the water’s edge, R. lanuginosum, R. heterostichum and R. fasciculare (both checked microscopically); also Polytrichum piliferum and a small cushion of Grimmia donniana with a single capsule. Some good mossy boulders had Barbilophozia attenuata and a small patch of Lophozia sudetica, tentatively identified by the red back to the stem and bilobed leaves. Later, under the dissecting microscope, some nice red perianths were found. A few yards from the beck, a rock face with water running down it had a good range of tufa moss: Amphidium mougeotii, Gymnostomum aeruginosum and Anoectangium aestivum, as well as Palustriella commutata, Conocephalum salebrosum, Preissia quadrata and Fissidens taxifolius. There were healthy patches of Loeskeobryum brevirostre by the beck, and a small amount of Fontinalis antipyretica at the edge of the water.

We headed away from the beck, past flushes where Dichodontium palustre was growing with Philonotis fontana and small amounts of Sphagnum auriculatum and S. inundatum. Scrambling up a slope that proved to be a stable boulder field, we found large amounts of Barbilophozia floerkei. In this promising habitat we hoped to find more Atlantic species such as Anastrepta orcadensis, but the Barbilophozia was predominant. Some of the boulders had large quantities of Gymnomitrion obtusum and some Andreaea rupestris, whilst low crags had cushions of Bartramia pommiformis. At the top of the boulder field, Gouther Crag provided some shelter so we stopped for lunch and a welcome hot drink under a hawthorn which occasionally showered us with drips. Although the crags themselves were dry and largely unpromising, we found some different species on boulders below, including Plagiomnium affine, Plagiothecium denticulatum var. denticulatum, Ptilidium ciliare and a small, narrow-leaved Polytrichum that turned out to be Polytrichastum alpinum. The weather had been showery rather than the unremitting heavy rain that the forecast suggested, but it was still starting to soak into the ends of sleeves and it was a bit on the chilly side to be sitting, so we decided to descend the slope and walk briskly up the valley to look at some hazel woodland. On the way down we passed a large cushion of Tortella tortuosa and an enormous colony of Gymnomitrion obtusum. The hazel woodland produced a few more species including Ulota bruchii, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus and Frullania tamarisci. It was encouraging to see that the hazels all had abundant young stems as well as older wood. Unfortunately by this stage the rain seemed to be getting heavier and we were getting colder, so we decided to head back. It was a lovely site, quiet and unspoilt, and would definitely be worth revisiting in better weather, perhaps exploring further up the valley and some of the other crags. There was enough variety here to suggest it might warrant further exploration.

Text and photos: Clare Shaw and Kerry Milligan

On the day before the trip date, the weather was appalling, with strong winds and relentless heavy rain, and the weather forecast was not amazing, so we set off for the day with some trepidation to see how the weather would evolve. There was a lot of standing water on the roads, with quite long stretches of the Burton road submerged, but two of us arrived safely at the meeting point on the A5084, near the small road to Stable Harvey (SD 28934 91049). There was a surprisingly good turnout, with eight people in the bryophyte group.

With the benefit of local knowledge from Rob, we decided to have a quick look at the quarry where some of us were parked. It was indeed a good site and the bare quarry floor was almost entirely carpeted in bryophytes, including Philonotis fontana, small amounts of Dichodontium palustre, Didymodon insulanis, Campylium stellatum, Cratoneuron filicinum, Calliergonella cuspidata and quite a surprising amount of Palustriella commutata (not as regularly pinnate as you would normally expect, but showing all the other features – plentiful rhizoids and paraphylla, curved leaves etc.). We had two beginner bryologists joining the group for the first time, so this was a good opportunity for teaching / revising some common species. The walls of the quarry also had quite a good variety of species: large quantities of Kindbergia praelonga in one corner, also Schistidium crassipilum and some small cushions of fruiting Ptychomitrium polyphyllum. At the far entrance there was further evidence of base-rich substrate, with Tortella tortuosa and Ctenidium molluscum. It was nice to see a good cushion of the tufa moss Gymnostomum aeruginosum, as well as Ptilidium ciliare and a small patch of Scapania compacta.

After a good explore of this area we thought it was time to head for the mires on Blawith common. We splashed up the Stable Harvey road, stopping to admire some lovely patches of the lichen Pannaria conoplea on an old ash (see lichen report!). The lower stretches of the road pass through open woodland with birch and some old ash and oak. Spotting a waterfall just off the road, we headed off to explore. The waterfall had Chionoloma tenuirostre, Metzgeria conjugata and a few nice cushions of Amphidium mougeotii (another tufa moss), but sadly no Jubula hutchinsiae, which has however been recorded in this tetrad. A veteran oak overhanging a rock face had a big cushion of prolifically fruiting Leucobryum at its foot – the capsules (with a white calyptra and distinctive but small bump at the base) pointed to L. glaucum as L. juniperoideum is more rarely seen fruiting and the capsules are slightly different. A sample was examined in case it was L. albidum, but it was confirmed by Tom Blockeel as L. glaucum. Hanging off the rock face, on a mat of decaying vegetative matter, was a small amount of Lophozia incisa. There was also some nice, gemmiferous Lophozia ventricosa on a tree root, Gymocolea inflata on a rock and a potential Rhytidiadelphus subpinnatus. We had lunch near the waterfall, then headed back to the road under a grey sky and light drizzle. Some flat rocks near the road had Polytrichum pilliferum, Racomitrium lanuginosum and Pogonatum urnigerum with Bryum alpinum and Breutelia chrysocoma in seepages. By the road edge there was some gold-tinted Sphagnum inundatum.

A little way up the road, we finally reached the mire, which at first was rather poor, mainly Molinia and Myrica gale with only small amounts of Sphagnum beneath. We collected a couple of Sphagnum species, then headed across the road to a better site, where there were cushions of Polytrichum strictum and Aulocomium palustre, as well as several Sphagnums: S. capillifolium subsp. capillifolium, S. auriculatum, S. fallax, S. inundatum, S. palustre, S. papillosum and S. russowii. There were patches of Odontoschisma Sphagni and one patch of Mylia anomala, with only a few shoots showing clusters of gemmae after the heavy rain. Straminergon stramineum was poking its head out of some of the mounds. A small escarpment of rocks above the mire had Andreaea rothii and Ptilidium ciliare.

A cold wind was starting to blow, so we decided to beat a retreat. It was an enjoyable day, and undoubtedly far better than any of us had been expecting.

Text and photos: Clare Shaw

For a change the sun was shining and the winds light for our October meeting at High Wallowbarrow Farm near Seathwaite in the Duddon Valley. The farm is unusual in having large areas of ancient semi-natural woodland, most of which lies within the Duddon Valley Woodlands Site of Special Scientific Interest. Whilst bryophytes have been quite well recorded in parts of the SSSI, other areas appear to have been little visited; monad SD2196 immediately west of the farmhouse  has records for only three species, whilst the adjacent monad (SD2296) has a list of 189 species. We decided to focus the morning’s efforts in SD2196 and visit the spectacular Wallowbarrow Gorge in SD2296 in the afternoon.

After a brief introduction, we made our way to Wallowbarrow Coppice, an area of upland oakwood on a steep west facing slope with frequent birch and hazel. An abundance of common mosses such as Thuidium tamariscinum, Isothecium myosuroides, Rhytidiadelphus loreus and Polytrichum formosum covered the woodland floor, rocks and tree bases, with the liverworts Scapania nemorea, Scapania gracilis, Diplophyllum albicans also abundant. More unusual species included Rhabdoweisia crenulata, Orthocaulis (Barbilophozia) atlantica, Tritomaria exsectiformis, and Scapania umbrosa. A quick foray into a small mire above the wood added several Sphagna including Sphagnum papillosum and S rubellum, together with Polytricum strictum and Aulocomium palustre. An unusual Racomitrium on rocks nearby was later confirmed as R obtusum. This was formerly considered a variety or subspecies of R. heterostichum and there are as yet very few records of it in Cumbria, although it is likely to be quite widespread. Whilst we did not re-find Syzigiella (Jamesoniella) autumnalis, Grimmia ramondii or Ptychomitrium polyphyllum which had previously been found in SD2196, 62 new species were recorded. We could probably have spent the whole day in this monad and identified a lot more, but after lunch we headed into SD2296 to visit Crag End Wood and Wallowbarrow Gorge. Quickly ticking off many of the common bryophytes already encountered in the morning, we soon found some new species including Diphyscum foliosum and Hyocomium armoricum on the river banks, Sciuro-hypnum plumosum and Marsupella aquatica on rocks in the river, Amphidium mougeotii and Saccogyna viticulosa on crags, and Dicranodontium denudatum on dead wood. Towards the end of the day, the rain came in and we retreated. In total 83 bryophytes were recorded across the two monads. Thanks to Chris at High Wallowbarrow Farm for access and to everyone who participated in what was a very enjoyable day.

Text: Kerry Milligan. Photos: Kerry Milligan, Clare Shaw, Paul Ross.

As with any bryology outing, it’s easy to get distracted by the surroundings of the car park. Some awkward road closures and traffic spread out arrivals, so a brief look around Pendragon castle yielded a light green Zygodon growing on an old ash – Zygodon rupestris perhaps? Alas, the longitudinal cell walls on its gemmae confirmed it as the more-common Zygodon viridissimus.

Once all three bryologists were present, we set off for the Mallerstang crags aiming to focus our efforts on grid square NY7902 which curiously lacked any bryophyte records. After confirming the presence of Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus ambitiously (presumptively?) identified by Judith from 800m away in the car park, we found a typical assembly of upland acid grassland mosses and the first few of what would be a good day for Sphagnum – Sphagnum capillifolium, S. subnitens and S. russowii.

Our first liverwort of the day was Tritomaria quinquedentata growing among wefts of Pleurozium and Pseudoscleropodium, quickly followed by Ptilidium ciliare, Orthocaulis attenuatus and a larger gemmiferous Orthocaulis (confirmed later as O. atlanticus) on the grassy margins of exposed rocks. The shaded bases of the larger rocks were occupied by Diplophyllum albicans, Scapania gracilis and the occasional large stand of a Cephalozia, later confirmed by Kerry to be C. bicuspidata.

As we advanced further towards the crags, we crossed several rush-dominated flushes, adding six more sphagna to our list – S. squarrosum, S. auriculatum, S. palustre, S. fallax, S. angustifolium and S. teres. We also added Polytrichum commune whose family was well represented on the day, including P. piliferum, P. strictum, P. formosum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Pogonatum urnigerum and P. aloides.

We passed a few more damp patches adding Sphagnum papillosum and S. rubellum to our list, and our arrival at the crags was further delayed by a stream with typical riparian bryophytes – Brachythecium plumosum, Racomitrium aciculare, R. aquaticum, Scapania undulata and a Pellia species. The flushed edges boasted Philonotis fontana and Dichodontium pellucidum with scattered patches of Riccardia chamaedryfolia.

It was after 2pm when we reached the crags where we pondered a slender Campylium, later identified as C. portensum with leaves <2mm long, large alar patches and abruptly tapering leaves. The flushed crags were adorned with flows of the usual suspects – Philonotis fontana, Amphidium mougeotii, Palustriella commutata and Breutelia chrysocoma. The diversity expanded with Pohlia wahlenbergii, Bryum julaceum, Aneura pinguis, Pellia endiviifolia with ample branchlets, Blindia acuta, Jungermannia atrovirens, Hookeria lucens and Gymnostomum aeruginosum.

Our journey back to the carpark included a brief stop around some boulders with Calypogeia arguta, Schistidium crassipilum and Orthotrichum diaphanum joining our list. Further down, a quick look around a streamside limestone exposure yielded little more of interest but hiding in turf overhang was Sphagnum girgensohnii, our twelfth and final Sphagnum of the day.

Text and photos: Paul Ross