*1: Bollogas, W. of
Newlyn, 1844, AG (PNZ) (Paton 1969a:
746).
*2: Withiel near
Bodmin, 1870, RVT (B) (Paton 1969a:
746).
Grows as ± tall lawns or rough mats, often covering
many square metres, or intermixed with other robust bryophytes
or low grasses and herbs. Habitat notes from C&S are as
follows. Typically on soil and ground-litter that may be
rather dry and free-draining to permanently moist, of acidic,
neutral or basic reaction, in open sunny sites and in light to
rather heavy shade. Occurs on banks or flat ground in and at
edges of deciduous woodland and groves of trees, in open
coniferous woodlands, edges of conifer plantations, in Grey
Willow carrs or scrub, on shaded stream and river banks,
laneside and roadside banks, old quarries, about tors, rough
damp grassland, wet heathland, on hummocks or old Molinia caerulea
tussocks in open mires, on coastal slopes (but not usually on
sea-cliffs), over old mine-spoil (in some heathy areas and
among scrub), also on 'hedges', about bases of walls and in
earthy crevices, on graves, in lawns, locally on banks of
china clay spoil, and over or among concrete of
ruins.
Often locally dominant and forming large patches,
especially in open woodland or at wood edges, where it may
also extend over rocks and boulders where these are small or
gently sloping, also locally in heath almost or quite degraded
to acid grassland on Bodmin Moor (where distinction from Thuidium delicatulum
commonly requires microscopic checking). Locally as epiphyte
on tree bases, extending onto lower 0.5-1.0 m of Grey Willow
trunks in carrs and up to 1.0 m up Beech trunks in a
plantation.
Common associates include Brachythecium
rutabulum, Dicranum
scoparium, Kindbergia praelonga,
Eurhynchium
striatum, Isothecium myosuroides
var. myosuroides,
Mnium hornum, Polytrichastrum
formosum, and many grasses, herbs and low shrubs (e.g. Agrostis capillaris,
Calluna vulgaris,
Galium saxatile, Potentilla erecta, Vaccinium myrtillus);
other frequent associates are Hylocomium splendens,
Pleurozium
schreberi, Rhytidiadelphus
loreus, Rhytidiadelphus
squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus
triquetrus, Pseudoscleropodium
purum, Thamnobryum
alopecurum.
Single record c.fr. by DTH in Cornwall, capsules
old: 2 (three dehisced capsules from single inflorescence
where species was growing luxuriantly in old scrub beside
disused china-clay pit).