Liverworts and Mosses
My expertise in readily and reliably identifying the bryophyte flora has been limited, so in the tables below only a representation of some of the species that may be present in the area is given. Photographs where available may be viewed by clicking on the scientific name. Initials in brackets after location relate to recorder. Thanks to Roger Snook for additional information about some of the species, and his notes on where some species may be found are given as (RS) in the locations column. Additionally, a visit by Ken Adams (KJA) on 23 February 2015 added more species to the list.
Epping Forest as a whole has a wide variety of semi-natural habitats and it is said that the Forest supports an outstanding bryophyte flora, with 177 species in evidence. (source: English Nature) The same article states that the Forest's bryophytes have declined in variety as a result of problems including shading, scrub on the heaths, human interference and atmospheric pollution. Our area too - which includes Wanstead Flats, Wanstead Park and Bush Wood - is quite varied in habitat, but probably all of those problems exist in this part of the Forest. Indeed, Roger Snook laments the loss of some of the ditches and wet flushes, particularly north of the fairground site on Wanstead Flats, which only a few years ago held a much greater number of bryophytes, both in quantity and species. For an article relating to the area's mosses and liverworts, click here.
The following species are listed in alphabetical order.
| Species | Common Name | Locations | Habitat |
| Liverworts | |||
| Lophocolea bidentata | Bifid Crestwort | col 09/11/1980 | woodland, grassland |
| Lophocolea heterophylla |
Variable-leaved Crestwort | bw K7 11/10/1981 | woodland |
| Lunularia cruciata | Crescent-cup Liverwort | Capel Road garden wall 05/04/2006; col 16/01/2006; wp by OW (M9) 06/01/2016 | walls and streamsides |
| Marchantia polymorpha | Common Liverwort | At the base of an old wall at the east end of Capel Road, 2010. Base of wall in Wanstead Park Avenue, 19/01/2016. (wf, RS) | walls |
|
Mosses
|
|||
| Brachythecium rutabulum |
Rough-stalked Feather-moss | Capel Rd garden wall 21/03/2002; col 15/03/2008 | woodland, gardens |
| Bryum capillare | Capillary thread-moss | col 05/03/2008; Capel Road front garden wall 19/02/2002; aldersbrook; (col 23/02/2015, KJA) | walls; also on bark of London Plane in col |
| Campylopus introflexus | Heath Star Moss | col 23/02/2015 (with KJA) | in grassland and on open topped grave |
| Ceratodon purpureus | Fire Moss | wf (col 23/02/2015, KJA) | grassland; also in Col on open grave top - no sporophytes |
| Dicranella heteromalla | Silky Forklet-moss | bw | woodland |
| Dicranoweisia cirrata | Common Pincushion | col 23/02/2015 (with KJA) | in CoL, a few scraps, non fruiting on London Plane |
| Funaria hygrometrica | Common Cord Moss | wf 07/04/2011; wp (RS); col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | grassland; in CoL on 23/02/2015 with immature capsules in open topped grave |
| Grimmia pulvinata | Grey Cushion-moss | Garden walls throughout the area (col 20/02/2011 & 23/02/2015 KJA) | walls; in CoL, with immature capsules on flat slab grave stones |
| Hypnum cupressiforme | Cypress-leaved Feather-moss | col 15/03/2008; wp 06/04/2011; (col 23/02/2015, KJA) | woodland; in CoL, on open top grave |
| Mnium hornum | Swan's-neck Thyme-moss | bw K7 11/10/81; wp 24/03/2014 | woodland |
| Mnium longirostrum syn. Plagiomnium rostratum |
Long-beaked Thyme-moss | wp; bw; col | woodland |
| Orthotrichum anomalum | Anomalous Bristle-moss | col 14/04/2013 | on worked gravestone |
| Plagiomnium affine | Many-fruited Thyme-moss | col 23/02/2015 (with KJA); 25/11/2020 | |
| Pohlia nutans | Nodding Thread-moss | wf, M3 | grassland |
| Polytrichum commune | Bog Haircap | wf 01/05/2009 | boggy areas |
| Polytrichum juniperinum | Juniper Haircap | wf K3 south of Alex Lake 16/11/1980 | grassland |
| Polytrichum piliferum | Bristly Haircap | wf K3 south of Alex Lake 21/01/2017 | grassland |
| Pseudoscleropodium purum | Neat Feather-moss | col 23/02/2015 (wp RS); | grassland |
| Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus | Springy Turf-moss | col, on lawn 24/10/2013; (col 23/02/2015, KJA) | grassland |
| Syntrichia intermedia | Intermediate Screw-moss | col 23/02/2015 (with KJA) | |
| Tortula muralis | Wall Screw-moss | Capel Road walls 19/02/2002; on track in Sewage Works | walls |
Below are additional species which have been reported in the area, but which I have not personally seen. RS = Roger Snook; KJA = Ken Adams
| Species | Common Name | Locations | Habitat |
| Liverworts | |||
| Lophocolea sp. | wf north of fairground site in ditches (RS) | boggy area | |
|
Mosses
|
|||
| Amblystegium serpens var. serpens | Creeping Feather-moss | wp (RS); col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | various |
| Atrichum undulatum | Catherine's Moss | Front garden in Woodcote Road E11 (now gone) (RS); col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | woodland |
| Barbula convoluta var. convoluta | Lesser Bird's-claw Beard-moss | col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | |
| Barbula convoluta var. sardoa | Lesser Bird's-claw Beard-moss | col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | open top grave |
| Brachythecium albicans | Whitish Feather-moss | wf (RS); wp (RS) | grassland |
| Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostrum | Red Beard-moss | col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | plentiful with old and immature capsules all over one open-topped grave |
| Bryum argenteum | Silver-moss | wp/sw on the concrete bridge (RS) | walls |
| Didymodon insulanus | Cylindric Beard-moss | col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | in CoL, plentiful along edge of tarmac path |
| Didymodon luridus | Dusky Beard-moss | col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | in CoL, plentiful along edge of tarmac path |
|
Eurhynchium confertum syn. Rhynchostegium confertum |
Clustered Feather-moss | wp OW side of the Bund (RS) | walls, gardens, woodland |
| Eurhynchium praelongum |
Common Feather-moss | wp OW side of the Bund (RS) | woodland |
| Fissidens taxifolius | Common Pocket-moss | wp (RS) | woodland |
| Kindbergia praelonga | Common Feather-moss | col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | |
| Orthotrichum diaphunum | White-tipped Bristle-moss | col 23/02/2015 (KJA) | |
| Past Records from "Flora of Essex" Stanley T. Jermyn, Essex Naturalist's Trust 1974 | |||
| Liverwort | |||
| Lophozia ventricosa | One record from 'near Green man P.H. Leytonstone', 1969 MOH 39,88?) | ||
| Mosses | |||
| Sphagnum squarrosum | Formerly recorded from Snaresbrook Bog, (now infilled), EF (39,88) | ||
| S. flexuosum | Snaresbrook, in a bog by the Central Line, 1967, now infilled (39,88) | ||
| S. subsecundum var. inundastum | Formerly recorded from...near Rising Sun P.H. (39,89) | ||
| S. subsecundum var. auriculatum | Formerly in Snaresbrook Bog -up to 1967, (39,88), and by Alexandra Waters, Wanstead Flats, 1961, BTW - now gone (41,86) | ||
| S. fimbriatum | By Underground Line, Leytonstone, 1956, JHGP (39,88) now gone | ||
| Dicranella cerviculata | old record: Gravel pit, Wanstead Park, 1800, EF (41,87) | ||
| Dicranum bonjeanii | old record: Near Snaresbrook | ||
| Funaria fascicularis | old record: Ditch near spring between Snaresbrook and Shrub-bush, 1800, EF (39,88) | ||
| Drepanocladus exannulatus var. exannulatus |
Snaresbrook, bog by Underground line, 1967, (39,88); Whipps Cross area, gravel workings, 1967 (39,88) | ||
| D. exannulatus agg. |
Material of the aggregate has been reported from...Alexandra Waters, Wanstead Flats, 1961 | ||