Barry’s
moss roof post reminded me of an unusual roof moss I noticed amongst some of my
old photographs recently. Back in 2004
when Sam and I were doing some recording for the Carmarthenshire bryophyte
flora we spotted some tufts of Campylopus atrovirens growing on a slate roof.
The roof in the photograph is near Allt Rhyd y Groes
National Nature Reserve in the very north-east of Carmarthenshire - one of my
most favourite parts of Wales. This oceanic species has a very western
distribution in Britain, and in south Wales I think I have mostly seen it
growing in wet heath, especially where there is some slight flushing – in the
Allt Rhyd y Groes area it probably rains more days than it doesn’t, so probably
not surprising a moss like this can grow in such an exposed spot.
I think the only other Campylopus species I have seen on roofs is C. introflexus – fairly common on thatch but also sometimes growing between roof tiles, where it takes on a very distinctive growth form of tall, very straight-sided tufts, easily identified as this species from a good distance away.
I think the only other Campylopus species I have seen on roofs is C. introflexus – fairly common on thatch but also sometimes growing between roof tiles, where it takes on a very distinctive growth form of tall, very straight-sided tufts, easily identified as this species from a good distance away.
In my experience Campylopus atrovirens is surprisingly scarce in NPT - more common in RCT.
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