Photo
by Dr M Lueth ©.
*1: Trungle Moor, Paul,
1866, WC (PNZ) (Paton 1969a:
719).
*2: Fowey, 1919, RWS
(BM) (Paton 1969a:
719).
Blockeel & Long (1998: 99) maintained var. laevipilaeformis as a
valid taxon, but Paton (1969a: 719), Smith (2004: 387) and
Hill et al. (2008)
treated them together. My own fieldwork suggests that in
Cornwall plants with bulbils
(var.
laevipilaeformis) occur patchily mixed in with typical
plants. Thus, 'var. laevipilaeformis' was found e.g. in some
but not all plants on Elder in SW62H, some but not all plants
on roadside shale/slate in SW84G, on concrete by church in
SW83U, some but not all patches on Sycamores in SW63A, on Ash
in SS20C. Near Bude Canal in July 2002 it
was noted that most fertile and non-fertile plants lacked
bulbils but a few individual non-fertile plants scattered
among them had bulbils. Hence, 'var. laevipilaeformis' has
usually not been separated in Cornwall because of doubt
about its taxonomic validity.
Forms cushions or patches. Notes on habitats in
C&S are as follows. Mainly found as epiphyte on bark of
trunks or large branches, less often on decorticated wood of
branches, growing where almost fully insolated or partly or
lightly shaded, on horizontal to vertical surfaces. Several to
many records each from Alder, Ash, Elders, Sycamore; few from
elms, oaks; single records from Grey Willow, Cupressus macrocarpa,
oak stump, trunk of evergreen Quercus in parkland,
Tilia ×vulgaris. Grows on
trees or shrubs that not heavily shaded, e.g. at edges of
woodland or scrub, a deer-park, in hedgerows or farmland,
close to cliff top and in a public park. Frequent on silted
bases of trees in flood-zone beside R. Tamar. Associates when
growing epiphytically include Bryum capillare, Cololejeunea
minutissima, Homalothecium
sericeum, Hypnum
cupressiforme var.
resupinatum, Metzgeria furcata, Orthotrichum
diaphanum, Ulota
phyllantha, Zygodon
conoideus, Zygodon
viridissimus var. viridissimus, more
rarely Leptodon
smithii, Leucodon
sciuroides var. sciuroides, Syntrichia latifolia,
Zygodon
viridissimus var. stirtonii.
Frequently also on rocks (granitic, shale/slate),
concrete and mortar: of walls, churches, churchyard and
cemetery pathways, cliff top, exposed coastal path on slope
above lighthouse, bridges, grave-covers, blocks and boulders,
rock in 'hedge', road cutting and masonry fragments. Care is
required to avoid overlooking such occurrences as Syntrichia montana, S. ruralis var. ruralis or Tortula muralis.
Associates on rock/masonry include Bryum dichotomum, Grimmia pulvinata, Tortula
atrovirens.
Frequently c.fr.: capsules immature 1-5, (7 very
young), 11, 12; dehiscing 2, 4; dehisced (1, 3 old) 3, 6, 7,
10.