Marsupella profunda

Marsupella profunda, the western rustwort,[1] is a liverwort endemic to Europe and known only from Portugal, (Azores and Madeira), Spain (Canary Islands) and Great Britain (Cornwall).[2] It is a small reddish liverwort and can be confused with Marsupella sprucei which has a more widespread distribution.[2]

Marsupella profunda
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Marchantiophyta
Class:
Jungermanniopsida
Order:
Jungermanniales
Family:
Gymnomitriaceae
Genus:
Marsupella
Species:
M. profunda
Binomial name
Marsupella profunda

Distribution and habitat

The species is rare in Britain; it is known from just ten locations, all in Cornwall. These sites at Lower Bostraze and Leswidden, St Austell Clay Pits and Tregonning Hill, are all protected as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.[3][4][5]

Within Cornwall, western rustwort is generally found growing on micaceous or clay waste substrates which are flat or gently sloping. Some patches occur on granitic rocks, usually where these are soft or crumbling. It appears to be a pioneer species, the largest populations being found on surfaces showing the early stages of colonisation by other bryophytes and by vascular plants.[4] New plants develop and grow rapidly from spores, while older plants disappear as they are shaded out by surrounding vegetation.[2] It disappeared from at least six Cornish sites between 1971 and 2005 due to shading from European gorse (Ulex europaeus) and bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.)[6]

Conservation

This liverwort is rare in all parts of its range and is known from only a few sites in each locality where it is present.[2] The species has several conservation designations. It is listed on Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, in Appendix 1 of the Bern Convention, and in Annex II of the European Community Habitats and Species Directive.[2]

References
  1. Edwards, Sean R. (2012). English Names for British Bryophytes. British Bryological Society Special Volume. 5 (4th ed.). Wootton, Northampton: British Bryological Society. ISBN 978-0-9561310-2-7. ISSN 0268-8034.
  2. "1390 Western rustwort". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  3. "Lower Bostraze And Leswidden" (PDF). Natural England. 1996. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  4. "St Austell Clay Pits" (PDF). Natural England. 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  5. "Tregonning Hill" (PDF). Natural England. 1994. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  6. Holyoak, David T (2007). Bryophytes. In, Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (Second ed.). Praze-an-Beeble: Croceago Press. pp. 72–104. ISBN 978 1 901685 01 5.

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