Photo
by Dr M Lueth ©.
*1: Bank near lighthouse, Lizard, 1959, EFW (OXF) (Corley 1980:
206).
*2: Garden hedge, Bodmin, no date, RVT (DBN) (Corley 1980:
206).
Not distinguished from closely allied
species inBritain until the
study by Corley (1980). Distinguished from F. viridulus only on
basis of smaller, more bulging cells of leaf lamina, but
patches or local populations often show intermediate
characters. Indeed, variation in both cell size and
mamillosity appears to be continuous, so taxonomic status of
F. crispus may be
questionable. Although F. crispus appears to be
more closely confined to coastal sites in Cornwall
than F. viridulus,
cultivation experiments are desirable to assess whether its
characters have a genetic basis.
Scattered stems or lawns. Habitat notes from
C&S are as follows. Usually on steep to vertical surfaces
of open soil that may be loamy, sandy or stony, in dry to damp
places. Unshaded or more often slightly or partly shaded
(often by scrub or trees), sometimes rather heavily shaded.
Mostly recorded from banks and 'hedges' near the coast, often
near cliff tops. Also on low cliff beside a creek, banks near
a small stream close to coast and a ditch-bank. Once on thin
soil over steep slaty rock in old quarry well inland and
shaded by deciduous woodland. Associates recorded include Lejeunea lamacerina.
On St Martin's (Isles of Scilly) found inside several shallow
caves low on sea-cliffs, on vertical to horizontal or
overhanging steep soft sandstone (of Pleistocene raised-beach
deposits), in sites that are permanently shaded and rather
humid. Plants also occur here and in similar habitats
elsewhere in Scilly that appear to be intermediate between
this species and F. viridulus, along with
those that seem rather arbitrarily placed as F. crispus because they
have cells < 8 µm in upper parts of
most leaves.
Commonly c.fr. [not recorded without well-grown
capsules]: capsules immature 1, 2, 4, 12; dehiscing 1-4, 6,
12.