40
stools of ash scattered throughout,
together with midland hawthorn, suggest it
was originally an ancient wood. It seems
to have been (and still is) used as a wood
pasture for goats, and, apparently, in the
past for pigs. An extensive secondary
growth of hawthorn and elder now pervades
the wood, leaving, however, extensive
areas of damp turf dominated bryologically
by Plagiomnium affine, Plagiomnium undu-
latum and, in places, Calliergon cuspidatum.
Of the higher plants present, the Daphne
laureola was spectacularly abundant, at least
a hundred large clumps being present in the
western part of the wood. The single tree
of Purging Buckthorne about half way along
the western boundary hedge was found to be
just coming into leaf.
Bryologically little of note was found,
other than both species of Isothecium
(myurum as well as myosuroides) on maple,
and a fairly obviously new colony of
Campylopus introflexus. The 21 species
total for the wood was bumped up from
drains and culverts nearby with a further
seven species including Eurhynchium pumilum
and Orthotrichum diaphanum. Ken Adams,
having succeeded in leaving his lunch behind,
was refueled with a banana from Paula Swetten-
ham and a packet of crisps from Martin Gregory
and went on to add a few more to the list
from Canewdon Churchyard. The poor diet
of mosses and liverworts was, however,
supplemented by J. Bowdrey who collected
galls from the two woods and by Martin
Gregory who found several myxomycetes.
KEN ADAMS