There were some quite large and attractive clumps of
Leucobryum juniperoideum, which were deliberately included as part of the planting scheme in a glass jar planter, along with plants of
Tillandsia, at Wyevale today. There was no evidence on the label to indicate where this material came from, nor that it was harvested from a sustainable source. It's impossible to know whether this is just a one off chance inclusion, or whether
Leucobryum has been deliberately targeted by moss-gatherers, but the occurrence is a little worrying. Other similar jars seemed to be mostly filled with
Hypnum, so maybe this was just a one-off, but do keep an eye open if you happen to visit any Wyevale outlets.
Another item of bryological interest was a rather pricey Olive tree, which was reported to be 400 years old. Near the base of the trunk was some fruiting Barbula unguiculata and what looks like a non-fruiting Orthotrichum, though the growth form seems odd for this genus, so maybe it's a member of the Poticeae? Any suggestions welcome?
