I stopped to check a pile of decaying conifer logs in some very ordinary mixed woodland 2km west of Dingestow this afternoon and found some nice ripe Sematophyllum substrumulosum. Try as I might I couldn't get the camera to focus properly on it. Still, it's clearly the season to check local plantations for this increasing moss.
Yes, we are looking out for it - there's no shortage of logs!
ReplyDeleteRemember that it is VERY SMALL!! Sematophyllum substrumulosum capsules are an order of magnitude smaller than, eg Hypnum or Rhynchostegium. I doubt that it will be in any but the lowest altitude plantations, judging by where I have found it so far. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from sunny Hampshire! I have just started looking at your group's excellent blog again after the summer 'recess' and this post prompted me to go and have another look for this species yesterday (5th Nov) (which I couldn't find during one look earlier in March). Luckily we had the first decent rainfall for three weeks down here the day before. I managed to find a small patch near the base of a young birch growing under the dense canopy of a young, unthinned spruce plantation. Will be new to Hampshire (and VC11) if confirmed, but presumably it must surely be present right across southern England by now? Your note about the small size helped with finding it, though I was a bit lucky to see it having been unsuccessful looking on stumps and logs. Was growing amongst another pleurocarp which I forgot to note (maybe only Kindbergia) and mixed in with some Lophocolea heterophylla, which by all accounts is one of its key associates.
ReplyDeleteWell done John. I am glad you enjoy the South Wales Bryos Blog; it's a pity there aren't more local bryo blogs around...
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