Lecidella stigmatea

Found on the north side of a limestone ridge. The apothecia lacked a thalline border narrowing down to a lecideine species. A thin section in water showed the exciple to be a blue colour typical of Lecidella stigmatea. The KI reaction to the ascus was difficult to see properly but did show to be lecanora type when for a split second as the Iodine hit the apothecia. It then displayed as in the picture below.

Lecidella stigmatea apothecia section

Lecidella stigmatea ascus

Lecidella stigmatea

Lecidella stigmatea

Lecanora muralis

A distinctive lichen which lacked any spores under the microscope so visually identified as Lecanora muralis.

Lecanora muralis

Lepidozia reptans

Another distinctive Liverwort under the microscope. Common name is Creeping Fingerwort.

Lepidozia reptans

Diplophyllum albicans

Found on the Quantocks this Liverwort is quite easy to recognise under the microscope.

Diplophyllum albicans leaves

Pleurozium schreberi

This moss I took from a wall on the Mendips. The leaves are translucent so when wet the red stems show up much more. The leaves are distinctive having a double nerve and red at the base. I noticed on some leaves there is a fold from half way to the tip that allows the leaf to hug around the stem, others looked to be naturally curved.

Pleurozium schreberi

Pleurozium schreberi

Ctenidium molluscum?

Identifying bryophytes doesn't come overnight and needs a lot of practice. This one took quite some time and needs to be confirmed. It's one of the pleurocarps and has a curved leaf with no nerve.

Ctenidium molluscum

Brean Down 30th-31st October

2 MV's and 2 actinics ran from 9pm to 3am on Brean Down recording quite a few migrants. Here is the whole list from that night:

40+ RDP

5 Feathered Thorn

10 Beaded Chestnut

1 Diamond-back Moth

1 Scarce Bordered Straw

3 Rush Veneer

10 Angle Shades

4 Red-green Carpet

1 White Point

2 Setaceous Hebrew Character

30 November Moth

2 Autumnal Moth

3 Green Brindled Crescent

2 Large Wainscot

1 Mother of Pearl

5 Lunar Underwing

1 Dark Sword-grass

1 LBAM

1 Red-line Quaker

1 Pearly Underwing

1 Shuttle-shaped Dart

3 Black Rustic

2 Turnip

1 Brick

1 Acleris rhombana

2 Blastobasis lacticolella

1 Feathered Ranunculus

Scarce Bordered Straw

White Point