Category: Bryophyte

It was an eventful early morning as we had late notification that the Borrowdale road from Keswick was closed. I made an extra-early start from home and took the narrow and very winding route via Buttermere. Reaching Newlands Hause, I found the first few metres of the descent into Buttermere valley was very icy, with what looked like a covering of snow on the road, but beyond that it was fine and I made the descent safely. Arriving at the Seatoller National Trust car park I found that the road was not in fact closed, and most people had arrived via Borrowdale, which was probably just as well. We walked a short distance down the Seathwaite road, crossing the bridge and immediately taking a gate into the woodland. As the woods have been quite extensively surveyed, we decided not to do a full species list, but just check the species noted in Ben Averis’s report, and any additional species of interest. As there were a couple of beginners or near beginners in the group, we started by looking at some common species and explaining some of the basics of bryophyte identification. Andy McLay soon joined us, having been notified that the road closure was a false alarm.

We started by looking at some rock faces near the north edge of the woodland. There was plenty of Saccogyna viticulosa, and a few cushions of Rhabdoweisia crenulata, the teeth at the tip of the leaf just about visible through a hand lens. Lower down the north-facing side of the outcrop there was some Plagiochila spinulosa. Sloping rocks had plenty of Hageniella micans, sometimes more green than the typical golden colour, and this species would prove to be abundant across the north end of the site, despite being nationally quite scarce. We soon found some small patches of Harpanthus scutatus, standing out with its vivid green colour. Bazzania trilobata started to appear on small boulders. One such boulder had some nice Orthocaulis attenuatus, the pale tips of its shoots (with immature pale green gemmae) visible through a mat of Dicranella heteromalla, while nearby there were shoots with more mature red gemmae.

At NY244137 was a large rotting log which proved an excellent habitat for some interesting species, including Dicranodontium denudatum, Scapania umbrosa, Lophozia incisa, Cephalozia curvifolia, and a couple of small patches of Harpanthus scutatus. Andy took a small sample of Cephalozia, which he thought might be C. catenulata (found here by Ben Averis in 2010). Unfortunately he found no fertile material and was unable to confirm this species. We thought we could see tiny red shoot tips through the Cephalozia, and hoped this might be Anastrophyllum hellerianum, but this was perhaps wishful thinking.

We had pinpointed a couple of sites where Adelanthus decipiens had been recorded in 2010, but were unable to refind it. Likely looking boulders were covered in Rhytidiadelphus loreus, and we wondered whether nitrogen enrichment was favouring the growth of this species to the detriment of rarer liverworts. During the lunchbreak near the northwest corner of the woodland, a patch of Anastrepta orcadensis was found on a boulder near the flush heading down to the wall, as well as some Mylia taylorii. Heading south and uphill we followed the wall through some large boulders. Here there was much more Mylia taylorii, forming lovely fat cushions, and quite good-sized, healthy looking patches of Bazzania tricrenata. Reaching the top of the ridge, which was rather dry, we headed south, away from the bend in the wall, down into a bit of a boulder field. Adelanthus decipiens had been recorded on the north face of an outcrop, so we scoured all the outcrops we could find, to no avail. Reaching a flush and beck at around NY243135, we did however find abundant Radula voluta in healthy mats on stones in and around the water. There was also a patch of Pseudohygrohypnum which turned out to be the rarer species, P. subeugyrium (confirmed by Tom Blockeel).

Further up the slope, Paul found a nice patch of Odontoschisma denudatum, with its pale gemmiferous tips.

Heading back up the slope towards the west wall, we reached an area of very large boulders and outcrops. Near here Richard found the first patch of Ptilium crista-castrensis, while Paul found a very distinctive patch of Lepidozia Pearsonii, its thin, threadlike shoots looking distinctly different to the commoner Lepidozia reptans. The outcrops had good cushions of Mylia taylorii and more Rhabdoweisia crenulata, as well as several cushions of Plagiochila punctata, but no Adelanthus decipiens and no Herbertus hutchinsiae. We wondered whether the fairly dry conditions, which left many liverworts looking a bit crisped, was making it hard to spot things.

The light was starting to fade as we headed back downhill, and we decided to call it a day as visibility was becoming so poor. We returned towards the northern gate, following the contours below the steeper, rockier sections of the hillside. We passed a lovely, larger patch of Ptilium crista castrensis but didn’t see any new species on the return journey.

It had been a productive day and we’d seen lots of lovely species, some in surprising abundance. We were a little concerned about the species we had failed to re-find, and felt that it would be good to have a return visit to explore the lower section of Low Stile Wood, and perhaps High Stile Wood or the woodland south of Low Stile wood.

Text: Clare Shaw
Photos: Paul Ross

The January meet fell on a particularly sunny, and comparatively warm, day with only the slushy roads, and snow on the distant hills, hinting at the wintery conditions of the past few weeks. Another great turn out included a mix of experienced and newer learners, keen to expand their knowledge. We met by Haweswater and took a short walk along the road into Naddle Forest where we would spend the day. The woods are a great example of ancient relic forest, boasting a wealth of lichen and bryophyte species.

The Bryologists soon peeled off, climbing the steep slopes to examine a rock face which presented a good range of mosses and liverworts. A few common woodland species were quickly ticked off: Cirriphyllum piliferum, Hylocomiadelphus triquetrus and Rhytidiadelphus loreus. As represented by these first few species, there was a mixture of acid and calcareous species to be found throughout the site, hinting at the habitat mosaic.

Such a rich assemblage provided a good opportunity to compare some common pleurocarps. Paul gave a useful explanation of the differences between Loeskeobryum brevirostre, Hylocomiastrum umbratum and Hylocomium splendens. Although they are all large, red-stemmed pleurocarps, Hylocomium splendens is the most regularly branched of the three and has oval stem leaves with a long, tapering tip. The stem leaves of Hylocomiastrum umbratum and Loeskeobryum brevirostre are broadly triangular, but H. umbratum leaves are heavily pleated, distinguishing it from L. brevirostre which is a larger moss, and its leaves stick out, giving it a chaffy appearance.

With our heads now thoroughly in bryophyte mode, we moved upwards and came across the first of four Plagiochila species to be found; Plagiochila asplenoides. As the largest of the Plagiochila species, it clearly displays the characteristic convex, translucent leaves. After recording P. porelloides, which you could be fooled into thinking is simply a smaller version of P. asplenoides, we found our third species: P. spinulosa, which is an excellent example of an Oceanic indicator. Quick to differentiate from earlier species by the irregular teeth at the tip and back margin of the leaf, it bears more resemblance to our fourth species (read on!).

Another oceanic indicator was soon happened-upon, identified by its slightly untidy appearance and yellow-brownish colour: Scapania gracilis. These species like dry, sheltered areas within high rainfall habitats. Protected from temperature and weather extremes, S. gracilis thrives in these humid, acidic habitats. A less common oceanic indicator is Anastrepta orcadensis, so we were excited to find some quite large patches of this; surprisingly, we didn’t come across any more in the rest of the day.

After lunch we continued uphill and inadvertently split up into a few smaller groups to explore the crags and deadwood that littered the area. The habitat here was very similar to the morning, and the trees heralded woodland classics such as Frullania dilatata and Frullania tamarisci, two epiphytes that can be separated based on their growth form (appressed to trunk versus forming loose wefts) and their lobule shapes (helmet shaped versus small/long). While the area may not be considered as oceanic as some of the traditional oak woodlands in the western lakes, many interesting species continued to make their appearance. From the lovely looking Lophozia ventriculosa with green-gemmae-tipped bilobed leaves to the tiny, rusty coloured deadwood species Cephalozia curvifolia (previously Nowellia curvifolia), our list continued to grow at a rapid rate from relatively few micro-habitats.

Of particular interest was Schistochilopsis incisa found growing out of a heavily decaying log, (yet) another liverwort that forms a zag-zag pattern of jagged bi-lobed leaves on wet peats and decaying materials. In the same habitat was Riccardia palmata, growing profusely, and small amounts of Scapania umbrosa, the commonest of the ‘small’ Scapania species. This can be easily identified by the pale green to brownish colour and bright red gemmae present – but this proved challenging on the day as most had washed away in the rainy Cumbria weather!

As we climbed higher still up the slopes, we were able to regroup for a chat (and snack) around a calcareous woodland flush where the final push for species was revitalised by the change in habitat. Always great to find, Ptilium crista-castrensis (Ostrich plume feather moss) poked its feathers out from around a rock and on the damper ground around the flushes were ample patches of Hookeria lucens, a lovely liverwort-like moss with flattened, shiny leaves, and Fissidens dubius, a species easily distinguished from other Fissidens by its larger size and pale leaf margins.

With daylight fading fast on our steep north-facing slope, a last push into the crags by Kerry and Paul found Spinulosa punctata, Frullania fragilifolia and Bazzania tricrenata, all great indicators of oceanic climate and conveniently positioned close to the community associate Hymenophyllum wilsonii (Wilson’s filmy fern). So, while there are those that might tell you Haweswater isn’t ‘oceanic’ enough for a good moss hunt, here’s hoping our discoveries might convince you otherwise! Thanks to everyone that attended, and we look forward to seeing you all again in February.

Text: Beth Taylor and Josie Niemira

Our December meet took place on a drizzly but mild December day at Black Beck Woods, an area of privately owned conservation woodland in the south lakes near Bouth (previously owned by the ‘Booth’ family in fact!). Due to the size of the site, we initially met just off the A590 to then travel in fewer vehicles along the smaller roads and access tracks to the starting location. We saw a record-breaking number of group members attend, meaning Kerry had the tricky logistical job of herding 20+ bryologists and lichenologists into cars so that we could get started in a timely fashion.

Black Beck woods is owned by Edward Mills, a woodland manager with a keen interest in using practical conservation and restoration methods to create a high-quality woodland in the temperate rainforest zone. Ed gave us a great introduction to the site and provided a plan for the day so that the group could prioritise visits to the most interesting parts of the woodland.

This was a rare occasion where the bryophyte and lichen groups stayed within view for much of the day, ambling up the woody slope from the access path to find our respective treasures. While Paul gave a beginner’s group an invaluable introduction to common acid species such as Pseudoscleropodium purum and Polytrichum formosum, others set out in hopeful anticipation of the oceanic indicator species found in many similar sites in the area. To our joy, we were able to quickly locate sizable patches of Bazzania trilobata alongside regular findings of associates Plagiochila spinulosa and Saccogyna viticulosa, all great indicators of healthier oceanic woodland.  

We headed through the woodland to a locally known ravine called ‘Scholar’s Gap’, a perfect damp, shaded rocky habitat for humid-loving species with locally rare Tilia cordata (Small Leaved Lime) growing from the crags. Here we discovered many of the same oceanic indicators (a good sign of a consistently high-quality site), as well as some wonderful hummocks of Leucobryum glaucum poking out between the rocks. The find of the morning, however, was of course Andy’s delightful discovery of Syzygiella autumnalis (previously known as Jamesoniella autumnalis) on a shaded rockface right at the bottom of the ravine slope.

We were able to meet up with the Lichen group for lunch, enjoying a chat about morning finds along the banks of the Rusland Pool at the southeastern side of the site. The afternoon saw us exploring a willow carr at the south end of the site, just off the public footpath at Fish House Bridge. Although we were still close to the craggy acid woodland from the morning, this wet woodland habitat provides very different conditions for new species discoveries. The flushing of water brings in a more base-rich influence, meaning common indicator species such as Calliergonella cuspidata and Sphagnum auriculatum started to appear. There were also many epiphytes within ID availability on the sprawling willows, and those with wellies were able to access species such as Frullania tamarsicum, Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostrum, and Neckera crispa. Between the trees on the boggy woodland floor, Sue’s keen eyes spotted the shiny leaves of Hookeria lucens, a lovely flat-leaved moss that impersonates a liverwort at first glance.

The site sports a well-maintained boardwalk to host the public right of way, allowing us good access to the more inundated areas and perfect habitat for Trichocolea tomentella, the wonderfully named ‘Handsome Woollywort’ that was growing in abundant tussocks in perfect view. These wet areas were also great for Sphagnum, and our finalcount totalled at eight,which shows great diversity at the site.

While the day was already overflowing with species, there was one habitat we were yet to explore: deadwood! Luckily for us, there were conveniently placed logs all along the boardwalk that finally allowed us to tick off some classic deadwood species such as Odontoschisma denudatum, Cephalozia lunulifolia and Lophozia ventricosa.

Overall, the site turned out to be full of surprises, and although it currently has no SSSI designation there is hope that recording such as ours can start to create a better picture of the quality of the site in the future. Thanks to everyone that attended and to Kerry and Ed for organising the day. See you in January and happy holidays to all those who celebrate!

Text: Josie Niemira
Photos: various

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