Species of the Month – January: Springy Turf-moss

Springy Turf-moss Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus

December is a challenging time of year to record certain wildlife, but it is a great time for recording bryophytes – mosses and liverworts. This is a fairly challenging group since many species cannot be identified or recorded from photos. However, the Springy Turf-moss Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus is easily identified. This species particularly likes short grass that is maintained by grazing or mowing, particularly lawns. It seems to be lost on intensively managed grassland sites and indeed is often battled with by gardeners who strive, often fruitlessly, for a grass-only lawn.

This is one of the commonest mosses in Britain and as you can see from the map does have a widespread distribution in the SWSEIC area. It can probably be found in most 1km squares in the region, but there are gaps that could be filled. Luckily it can likely be found by you the readers lawn. You can read more about this species on the British Bryological Society website.

We are also glad to report that national expert Liz Kungu has recently been verifying Dumfries & Galloway bryophytes on iRecord so recorders should receive confirmation and feedback on their records.

Malcolm Haddow

SWSEIC Support Officer