Porella obtusata

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Identification notes

Of our five Porella species, this is the one most likely to be found on dry, often exposed rocks. It is very much a warmth-lover and this is one of the reasons why it is normally not far from the sea.

It often smothers a substrate with its robust, glossy shoots. Unlike P. arboris-vitae, another shiny species, it does not have a peppery after-taste and its shoots tend to stay flat rather than curling under when dry. It’s a similar size and appearance to P. platyphylla, which is the commonest species in the genus. However, they are easy to tell apart when plants are dry, because P. platyphylla looks dull.

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Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland

View distribution from the BBS Atlas 2014

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