The beautiful capsules of Entosthodon muhlenbergii (Muhlenberg’s Cord-moss) just reaching maturity at the end of April. This specimen was growing on a limestone escarpment in the south of the Brecon Beacons, overlooking the Clydach valley.
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The aptly named 'Flood Moss' found growing on a Willow branch on the banks of the River Severn in Worcester, during the 2023 Spring weekend meeting. This specimen was unusually clean and well hydrated thanks to some heavy showers on the previous day. It was recorded new to the vice-county.
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Spotted on the BBS meeting in the Lake District, April 2023. Photo by Peter Martin.
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Riccia crystallina spotted by Sharon Pilkington whilst surveying along the Fal Estuary in Cornwall recently. It was growing on Turnaware Point, one of the places used to board troops for the D-day landings in 1944 and now owned by the National Trust. Although it’s quite remote, the area gets quite a few visitors by foot, boat and bike, and there were thousands of rosettes growing in grassland charred from multiple campfires and BBQs.
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Brachythecium salebrosum (Smooth-stalked Feather-moss) is one of a few similar (and sometimes tricky) Brachytheciums with long, triangular leaves and fine tips. Jonathan Sleath has nicely captured the long, gradually tapered, plicate leaves in this specimen from Micheldever Wood in Hampshire.
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Aneura mirabilis (Ghostwort) found by Andrew Branson on December 20th 2022, new to VC5 (South Somerset). It was found in the Blackdown Hills in an open scrubby area with much Sphagnum palustre, S. fimbriatum and S. auriculatum. This small plant was growing under a S. palustre hummock near the base of a Downy Birch.
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This month's image just demonstrates the beauty of ordinary mosses, for those who are willing to look and see. Here we have immature capsules of the extremely common Bryum dichotomum (Bicoloured Bryum), taken towards the end of the day as the light was beginning to fade. Normally recognised by its abundant bulbils, B. dichotomum also often has capsules which are pendulous, relatively short and fat, and often have a mamillate lid like these.
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Luxuriant Fossombronia wondraczekii (Acid Frillwort) growing on soil banks around the Usk Reservoir in October 2022. Curiously, of the 4 reservoirs in Brecknock visited this autumn, this was the only one where any Fossombronia was found.
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Mielichhoferia elongata (Elongate Copper Moss) captured recently at one of its 2 known sites in England, in the Cleveland Hills, North Yorkshire - where it seems to be doing very well!
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Probably better known by its old name of Pleurochaete squarrosa (Side-fruited Crisp-moss), this photo was taken on limestone pavement at Gait Barrows NNR in Lancashire, and shows the plant both moist (in the mid-ground) and dry (in the background). Always a pleasure to find!
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