News

New Sites for Rare Peak District Plants

Penny has discovered the locations of two rare plant species on the Peak District Moors: Stag’s horn clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum) and Royal fern (Osmunda regalis).

The Stag’s horn clubmoss was located on a wet and rainy day during a field visit to Holme Moss as part of the 2015 Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) Conference in Manchester last month (see link to previous news item). Simon Caporn (Professor in Ecology & Environmental Science at Manchester Metropolitan University), mentioned he had previously found clubmoss on the site, and the specimen was located and photographed, and on closer inspection Penny suspected it was indeed Stag’s horn clubmoss.

Penny took the opportunity when passing the site following the National Trust’s conference on Molinia last week to search for the clubmoss (accompanied by former PAA ecologist Chris Wood), this time in more clement weather conditions, and they found three more small populations, some of which were growing very strongly and with sporangia. At least twelve plants were located, some covering about 2×2m square with extension shoots up to 60cm long, creeping through stressed short heather close to the BBC mast’s concrete anchor footings.

Whilst walking to the clubmoss area, Penny found a single Royal fern plant in blanket peat – not very robust, but about the same size as specimens found a few years previously by Penny and PAA Ecologist Kath Longden on Marsden Moor to the North.

So what is happening – why are we finding the clubmoss and ferns (and the fir clubmoss that is appearing along the Pennine Way on Marsden and Snake Pass) now? Are they recovering from sulphur dioxide pollution now that levels are low and the pH of the peat is slowly beginning to recover? We may never know, but they are all described as extinct or very rare in the old floras. Let us hope they are on the road to recovery now.