Leptobryum pyriforme, Jersey Marine
I've only ever seen Leptobryum pyriforme in a flower pot before today so I was pleased this afternoon when we found large amounts of it on a weedy bank on the Amazon site in Jersey Marine. It appears to be uncommon in Glamorgan and Wales in general, yet it has a globally widespread distribution in temperate and boreal ecosystems. Non-fruiting material might go unnoticed in ruderal communities among lookalikes such as Trichodon cylindricus and Dicranella schreberiana (also on the Amazon site). In fruit, with those Bryum-like, pear-shaped capsules, it is unmistakable.
Super advertising for Amazon - one might say they really delivered the goods! Leptobryum is mighty uncommon in south Wales, except in plant pots, but I bump into it occasionally in dune slacks, waste ground, arable and even some semi-natural communities. It's relatively distinctive when one's thinking, but easily ignored as a scrappy Dicranella/Trichodon because Leptobryum isn't normally in the forefront of one's mind.
ReplyDeleteNice record Charles, I make it the 7th new tetrad for the county, but looks like only the 3rd not in a plant pot!
ReplyDeleteThat's odd, it's only in 3 tetrads on my MM database and Glamorgan looks pretty bare on the NBN map.
ReplyDeleteI've recorded it 3 times in the last 6 months or so, so perhaps we need to sync?
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