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CHANGES IN THE BRYOPHYTE FLORA OF SUFFOLK RICHARD FISK It is now over seventy years since the last account of Suffolk bryophytes was published (Mayfield, 1930), but it is hoped that a new ‘flora’ may produced before too long. The composition of any species group is bound to change during such an interval and there have been both gains and losses in the bryophytes. I do not like to use the term ‘extinct’ for who knows what may turn up and a few ‘lost’ species have been re-found in recent years. Changes in habitat are perhaps the biggest factor contributing to the losses. The disappearance of Belton bog, and drying out of other locations has led to the loss of a number of both mosses and liverworts. Others such as Antitrichia curtipendula have shown a decline nationally and are unlikely to re-appear, at least for the present. Others, though, are spreading nationally and may well become common. The status of many species is also changing, particularly epiphytes, and this is thought to be the result of lower air pollution but may also be the result of an increase in interest in bryophytes. Bryology has always been a minority ‘sport’ and in the past probably only one bryologist has been active in the county at any time. That is the situation at present though there have been up to three in recent years and we have received visits from bryologists in neighbouring counties from time to time. The dates of discovery of ‘new’ species are given in brackets, but some have been seen on only the one occasion, they are not identified in this paper. These can perhaps be classed as rare vagrants, beyond their normal distribution in Britain and probably unlikely to become established at present. There have been a number or taxonomic revisions of ‘difficult’ groups in recent years and this has added to the species list. A number of the new Bryum species are a result of such treatments. Others, like Campylopus introflexus and Lophocolea semiteres, were not even known in Britain in Mayfield’s time; they are recent immigrants from the southern hemisphere. Campylopus introflexus was first discovered in Britain in 1941, but is now abundant everywhere and Lophocolea semiteres shows signs of doing the same. During this time there have also been numerous changes to nomenclature, for some species more than once, so it is difficult to make an exact comparison to Mayfield’s work in a short paper. Some of the taxa included by Mayfield are no longer recognized and these have been ignored. In the list of losses the names used by Mayfield are given in brackets where they have changed. The nomenclature of the lists follows the latest checklist by Blockeel & Long (1998). Species not seen since Mayfield Liverworts:
Anthoceros agrestis (A. punctatus) Calypogeia sphagnicola Cladopodiella francisci (Cephalozia francisci) Kurzia pauciflora (Lepidoza setacea)
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Leiocolea badensis (Lophozia badensis) Lophozia ventricosa Nardia scalaris (Alicularia scalaris) Odontoschisma sphagni Scapania nemorea (S. nemorosa) Scapania irrigua Targiona hyphophylla Mosses: Amblyodon dealbatus (A. dealbata) Antitrichia curtipendula Bryum imbricatum (B. inclinatum) Bryum intermedium Bryum pallens Bryum knowltonii (B. lacustre) Calliergon straminium (Hypnum straminium) Cinclidium stygium Dicranela crispa Dicranela rufescens Drepanocladus lycopodioides (Hypnum lycopodioides) Drepanocladus revolvens (Hypnum revolvens) Drepanocladus sendtneri (Hypnum sentneri, H. wilsoni) Mnium marginatum (M. serratum) Orthotrichum pumilum (O. schimperi) Pogonatum nanum (Polytrichum nanum) Pogonatum urnigerum (Polytrichum urnigerum) Pterogonium gracile Pterygonium lamellatum (Tortula lamellata) Saniona uncinatus (Drepanocladus uncinatus) Scleropodium tourettii (Brachythecium illecbrum) Scorpidium scorpioides (Hypnum scorpioides) Sphagnum compactum (S. rigidum var. compactum) Sphagnum molle Sphagnum papillosum Thuidium abietinum subsp. hystricosum (Thuidium hystricosum) Tomentyhypnum nitens (Camptothecium nitens) Tortula cuneifolia Tortula viridifolia (Pottia crinita) Warnstorfia exannulata (Hypnum exanulatum) Warnstorfia fluitans (Hypnum fluitans)
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Species added since Mayfield Liverworts: Anthoceros punctatus (2001) Barbilophozia barbata (1957) Barbilophozia hatcheri (1934?) Blasia pusilla (1955) Calypogeia muelleriana (1955) Calypogeia arguta (1971) Cephalozia lunulifera (2000) Cephaloziella hampeana (1937) Chiloscyphus pallescens (1957) Cololejeuna minutissima (1990) Diplophyllum albicans (1937) Fossombronia wandraczkii (1999) Lejeuna cavifolia (1971) Lepidoza reptans (1955) Lophocolea semiteres (1998) Metzgeria fruticulosa (1960) Metzgeria temperata (1997) Moerkia hibernica (1956) Nowellia curvifolia (1990) Odontoschisma denudatum (1961) Pallavicinia lyellii (1958) Pellia neesiana (1981) Preissia quadrata (1951) Ptilidium pulcherrimum (1989) Reboulia hemispherica (1956) Riccardia latifrons (1957) Riccia beyrichiana (1953) Sphaerocarpus texanus (1951) Trichocolea tomentella (1948) Mosses: Amblystegium humile (1981) Amblystegium tenax (1999) Bartramia ithyphylla (1957) Brachythecium mildeanum (1957) Brachythecium salebrosum (1986) Bryum bornholmense (1962) Bryum dunense (1991) Bryum gemmiferum (1968) Bryum gemmilucens (1994) Bryum klinggraeffii (1971)
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Bryum pallescens (1993) Bryum ruderale (1963) Bryum subelegans (1970) Bryum subapiculatum (1963) Bryum tenuisetum (1939) Bryum torquescens (1961?) Bryum violaceum (1971) Campylophyllum calcareum (1997) Campylopus brevipilus (1955) Campylopus introflexus (1961) Campylopus pyriformis var. azoricus (1981) Cinclidotus fontinaloides (1993) Dialytrichia mucronata (1989) Dicranella staphylina (1968) Dicranum fuscescens (1992) Dicranum majus (1989) Dicranum montanum (1951) Dicranum polysetum (1957) Dicranum tauricum (1981) Didymodon acutus (1960) Didymodon nicholsonii (1995) Didymodon umbrosus (1986) Ditrichum cylindricum (1951) Ditrichum gracile (1950) Eucladium verticillatum (2000) Eurhynchium crassinervum (1981) Eurhynchium pulchellum var. praecox (1950) Eurhynchium speciosum (1953) Encalypta streptocarpa (1975?) Fissidens crassipes (1949) Fissidens exilis (1949) Fissidens gracillifolius (1981) Fissidens pusillus (1999) Grimmia decipiens (1991) Grimmia trichophylla (1981) Gyroweisia tenuis (1981) Hennediella macrophylla (2000) Hennediella stanfordensis (1999) Herzogiella seligeri (1956) Hookeria lucens (2000) Hypnum andoi (1981) Leptobarbula berica (1981) Leptodontium gemmascens (1980)
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Leucobryum juniperoideum (1992) Microbryum floerkeanum (1999) Neckera pumila (1994) Orthodontium lineare (1951) Orthotrichum pulchellum (1984) Orthotrichum straminium (1994) Pohlia lutescens (1981) Pohlia wahlenbergia var. calcarea (2001) Plagiomnium elatum (1956) Plagiomnium ellipticum (1957) Plagiothecium curvifolium (1971) Plagiothecium laetum (1984) Plagiothecium succulentum (1985) Ptatygyrium repens (1992) Pleurochaete squarrosa (1937?) Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans (1952) Ptilium crista-castrensis (1961) Racomitrium aciculare (1988) Racomitrium fasciculare (1999) Racomitrium hererostichum (1999) Rhynchostegiella curviseta (1990) Rhynchostegium megapolitanum (1951) Rhytidiadelphus loreus (1965) Schistidium crassipilum (1999) Scleropodium cespitans (1981) Sphagnum flexuosum (1989) Sphagnum russowii (1959) Sphagnum teres (1956) Syntrichia virescens (1981) Tetraphis pellucida (1951) Tortella flavovirens (1951) Tortula acaulon var. schreberiana (1981) Tortula acaulon var. papillosa (2001) Tortula subulata var. angustifolia (1981) Tortula vahliana (1991) Trichostomum brachydontium (1994) Trichostomum crispulum (1994) Ulota bruchii (1988) Zygodon conoideus (1990) Zygodon rupestris (2002) Zygodon viridissimus var. stirtonii (1989)
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References Blockeel, T. L. & Long, D. G. (1998). A check list of British and Irish Bryophytes. British Bryological Society. British Bryological Society (1946–). Transactions and Bulletins of Mayfield, A. (1930). The Hepatics, Mosses and Lichens of Suffolk. Journal of the Ipswich and District Natural History Society 1: 192. Richard Fisk 1 Paradise Row, Ringsfield, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 8LQ
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