Yesterday the Devon Bryophyte Group visited Fingle Woods to help the National Trust and the Woodland Trust assemble a moss and liverwort species list for the site. I joined them for the morning.

Part of the group investigating a stream

Mosses and liverworts in these Dartmoor woodlands love damp shady places

This is a close up of one of the rarer and specialist species we found – Jubula hutchinsiae, Hutchin’s hollywort – note the teeth at the end of blades. It likes growing under rocks in streams and it a very western species – Dartmoor is a national stronghold for this species

This is Racomitrium aquaticum – Narrow-leaved Fringe-moss – lives on top of rocks that receive a good flow of water – another very western/northern species in the UK

This is Pogonatum aloides – Dwaft haircap – identified by the distinctive white flat tops to the capsules

This is Pogonatum urnigerum – the Urn haircap – found on acidic gravelly tracks

Another classic species of upland Dartmoor oak woods – Leucobryum juniperiodeum – the Smaller White-moss

And finally Dicranum majus – the Greater Fork moss – a characteristic species of Dartmoor oak woods

Thank you very much to the team of volunteers from the Devon Bryophyte Group – a very friendly and knowledgable group who kindly helped me with identifications and general information. Looking forward to seeing a full species list. I think it will show that Fingle Woods – despite the planting of large areas of conifer is a very good and important place for these groups of plant.