Nosterfield Quarry Part 2: YNU Bryologists 13 Oct 2018

The Bryologists set off - complete with next generation - on 13 Oct 2018 at Nosterfield Quarry. The sand was deposited in a glacial lake. In one part the quarry company had had excavated down to the bedrock of magnesian limestone. We are the Bryology Section of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union.
(See Part 1 for pictures of lichens fungi and higher plants)

This is Aloina aloides Common Aloe-moss with stiff rigid leaves held in a rosette - found on the floor of limestone quarries . as here on the magnesian limestone area

More searching revealed the nationally rare plant that we had hoped to find:  Aloina brevirostris Short-beaked Aloe-moss

Aloina brevirostris has much shorter leaves and a shorter beak.

Microbryum-waiting for a name for this -Blobby

Didymodon tophaceus -
Olive beard-moss

We had lunch in the area where the quarry had dug down to the magnesian limestone bedrock below the sand. In the foreground there is a tufa deposit where the water runs over the limestone - with Didymodon tophaceus.

After lunch we went into the planted woodland/ screen wind break behind. On a felled log of willow Steven found two shoots of Syntrichia papillosum - The leaves are about 1.5 mm long. Not bad going eh!


Nick then found some Syntrichia laevipila (Small Screw-moss) on another willow which I am sorry I missed


As we walked back along the old medieval boundary wall,




 (where there was abundant Syntrichia intermedia)





 we came across a tree



Where there was lots of Syntrichia virescens at its roots - and some Orthotrichum diaphanum ( bottom left) hair tips to leaves)



 Hmm! the last time I knowingly saw this was in the tarmac by the cattle grid at Kilnsey  in 2014


See more Syntrichia expeditions...

Carlisle Mosses - (Superb Syntrichia part 1)

Kilnsey Mosses (Superb Syntrichia part 2)

On the way home, a km south of the quarry I stopped off at the northern most  henge of the three prehistoric henges.  The Thornborough Henge has been described by David Miles of English Heritage as "the most important prehistoric site between Stonehenge and the Orkneys".  This one is covered by secondary woodland and both ground and trees are covered by ivy.

Thank you Tom, Stephen, Nick, Mark, Mike, Chris for an enjoyable day.
(See Part 1 for pictures of lichens fungi and higher plants)