Photo
by Dr M Lueth ©.
*1: Sandy soil in
sheltered bulb-field, lying fallow, The Garrison, St Mary's,
Mar. 1950, JLH & PJW (Castell 1952: 89, Paton 1969a:
690).
Mature spores are necessary for species
identification in this genus. Hence many records from the
Isles of Scilly cannot be identified specifically because
capsules are lacking or immature. There is a single mainland
record of an unidentified Sphaerocarpos sp., found in a field
nearPenzance by HLKW (assigned to
SW43Q).
Frequent on bulb fields in Isles of Scilly,
although less common there than S. texanus. Grows mainly
on damp loamy soil with sparse vegetation among bulb crops, at
field edges, and less often along nearby paths or tracks.
Associates commonly include Riccia cavernosa, Riccia sorocarpa, Sphaerocarpos texanus
and various low mosses such as Bryum dichotomum, Bryum rubens, Kindbergia praelonga
and Tortula
truncata.
Capsules frequent; immature 4, dehiscing 4.
(Unidentified Sphaerocarpos spp.
also seen with well-formed involucres in
10-11).
