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Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 41 Some recent bryophyte records for 2003/2004
Highlight of 2003 was the visit by the British Bryological Society to East Anglia for its annual spring meeting. For once the number of active bryologists in the county got into double figures and a lot of good recording was done. New species added to the county list were Sphagnum angustifolium from Dunwich Heath and the liverwort Cryptothallus mirabilis from Fen Covert. The latter site also revealed the moss Hookeria lucens, new to v.c. 25 and a second record for the county of the liverwort Nowellia curvifolia was made in Risbeth wood near Thetford. At Gittin Wood near Wortham the moss Neckera complanata was found with capsules. Although a relatively common moss, capsules are very rare and this is probably the first record of their occurrence in Suffolk since the beginning of the last century. Other notable records during the year were the mosses Fissidens dubius from Coddenham and Bryum donianum from Blyford, both new to v.c. 25, whilst Bryum imbricatum from Icklingham was new to v.c. 26 In the autumn of 2004 a long lost species, the liverwort Jungermannia gracillima, was found at Benacre, the only other ‘recent’ record was from Westleton in 1955. A number of other interesting liverwort records were made during the last year. Fossombronia foveolata from Comb’s wood was new to the county and with it were F. pusilla and F. wandraczekii. Metzgeria temperata in Long Wood Bentley was only the second county record and second records from v.c. 26 were Nowellia curvifolia in King’s forest Wordwell and Leiocolea turbinata by the disused railway track at Acton. Compared to this list, mosses took a back seat in 2004, Weissia brachycarpa v obliqua at Kentford was a ‘re-find’ for v.c. 26. Also noteworthy were Aphanorhegma patens at Thornham, Platygyrium repens at Little Saxham, Rhodobryum roseum on Knettishall Heath and Acaulon muticum at Barking. Richard Fisk 35 Fair Close, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 9QR
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 41 (2005)