The Essex Naturalist
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Plagiothecium species (other than P. undulatum) are unable to survive. Most species also die back in the dry
south east in late summer/autumn, and regrow in the spring. Avoid trying to name these young plants, (which
can even resemble Mnium hornum), as they often grow vertically with spirally arranged leaves, and may have
atypical leaf and cell shapes.
For more detailed information on the British and north European species the following two sources are
invaluable and have been utilized in drawing up this account of the species occurring in south east England.
The Moss Flora of Britain & Ireland. By A J E Smith & R Smith. 706pp. Cambridge University Press. 1980
edition.
Illustrated Moss Flora of Fennoscandia. II Musci. Fasc.5 By E Nyholm. Swedish Natural Science Research
Council. Lund: Gleerup.1969.
I am very grateful to Dr Martha Newton for reading the draft and making several helpful corrections and
suggestions.