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Plants
at Seaton.
[Dicranella howei
Renauld & Cardot.
A widespread species in S. Europe that has not been
formally accepted for the British list. Two unconfirmed
records have been made in vc2, the best material being from
SE. of Seaton, SX3075/5419, unshaded thin soil among scree of
slaty rock about half-way up sea-cliff with patchy vegetation,
ca 20 m alt., 4 May
2005, DTH 05-95.
It grew as patches (low lawns) up to ca 15 cm across or
intermixed with other low mosses in some quantity on sea-cliff
slopes SE. of Seaton and in small amount on soil of a laneside
bank near Hessenford. At the former locality it occurred on
unshaded, thin, free-draining soil among scree of slaty rock
at about half- to three-quarters height on the cliff slope.
There were numerous moss patches associated with D. howei, mainly of Barbula unguiculata,
Bryum capillare, Bryum dichotomum, Didymodon fallax, Conocephalum conicum;
abundant patches of Centranthus ruber
occur over much of this part of the cliff and other associated
phanerogams include Daucus carota, Festuca rubra, Lotus corniculatus
and Teucrium
scorodonia. Bushes of Buddleja davidii have
begun to colonise the upper part of the cliff and these may
pose a threat to D. howei if they
increase; there are also a few patches of Ulex europaeus and one
of Cortaderia
selloana. Not seen c.fr. Howard A. Crum treated D. howei as a form of D. varia (Flora of North America
27: 389,
2007), perhaps correctly.]
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