Tag: Ferns

I led a free lichen walk at Cow Wood (Nymans Woodland), Handcross on Monday. To find out about my next free lichen walk see: Sim’s Lichen Walks

Cow Wood is a stunning high weald ghyll wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is of great importance for Atlantic bryophytes typically found in Atlantic Woodland, see SSSI citation.

We saw many interesting lichens, including sheets of Lecanactis abieitina covering whole sides of many Pedunculate Oaks, Quercus robur.

Lecanactis abietina with its “frothy beer cup” (Francis Rose) apothecia:

One of the participants spotted fertile Hypotrachyna revoluta sensu lato, with abundant apothecia. British Lichen Society: apothecia rare:

We looked at a log pile of felled trees, covered in Ramalina farinacea, Evernia prunastri, Ramalina fastigiata, Parmotrema perlalatum and Flavoparmelia caperata. I knew from my recce of Cow Wood that there was some Usnea cornuta in this log pile – not much! – but the participants found it:

There is some Tunbridge Filmy Fern,  Hymenophyllum tunbrigense,  at Cow Wood; we found some that had the Cladonia caespiticia growing on it. I have never seen this combination before:

If you want to join my next free lichen walk,  Saturday 12th April, RSPB Broadwater Warren, nr. Tunbridge Wells, email me: simeon[dot]elliott[at]proton[dot].me