The woodland flora of the Forest of Writtle and surrounding area
Dicranella schreberana: Recorded by Ken Adams in Jermyn (1974) from 'Highwoods' and during the
present survey from a recently coppiced area of Deerslade Wood in April 2003.
Dicranella varia: The only record from woodland concerns Horsfrith, where several patches were
found on a boundary woodbank on May 3lst 2002.
Dicranella staphylina: A plant of open habitats, not uncommon in the area, which has been found in
woodland in Great Edney set aside field in March 2000 and The Grove in March 2001.
Dicranella heteromalla: Abundant on woodland banks and similar habitats throughout the area.
Dicranoweisia cirrata: Common and widespread on the trunks and branches of trees throughout the
area, particularly in woodland.
Dicranum bonjeanii: Recorded from Mill Green Common in 1906 by F.J. Chittenden but not re-found
during the present survey.
Dicranum scoparium: Common and widespread on well-drained acidic soils thioughout the main
Forest complex.
Dicranum tauricum: Found by Tim Pyner from Birch Spring in January 1990, South Wood on April
28th 2002 and Parson's Spring on December 14th 2002.
Dicranum majus: One of the area's specialities. Largely confined to Stoneymore Wood, where it is not
uncommon on the woodland floor, but has also been recorded from the adjacent Deerslade Wood and
Mill Green Common. Recorded from 'Highwoods' in Jermyn (1974) but no site is given. A northern
and western species that is rare in Essex.
Dicranum montanum; Recorded from Birch Spring in January 1990 by Tim Pyner.
Campylopus pyriformis: Records arc confined to the acidic soils of the Fryerning-Mill Green ridge
and adjoining woodlands, where it is fairly common and widespread; the fragile yellowish-green leaves,
which often break off and litter the cushions, making it very distinctive.
Campylopus flexuosus (= C. paradoxus); Seems to have a similar status to the above but is more often
found on stumps and well-rotted wood generally. Not uncommon.
Campylopus introflexus: A tropical montane species that was first recorded in Britain in 1941. In the
Flora (1974) records were confined to Epping Forest but since then it has colonised the rest of Essex
and beyond. It is now the commonest member of this family in the area, particularly on acidic soils, and
often covers large areas of recently coppiced land, especially where damp and peaty.
Leucobryum glaucum; Another primarily northern species which has colonised the more acidic gravel
and Claygate beds in Essex. Recorded from Coptfold Hall Woods in 1958 by A. J. Pettifer and Stoneymorc
Wood in 1973 by Eric Saunders. It could not be re-found in the former area during the present survey
(although it was present in adjacent Writtle Park Wood in April 2003) but is still fairly common in the
latter, the distinctive glaucous-green cushion littering the woodland floor over extensive areas.
Leucobryum juniperoideum: This species, which is very close to the above, had not been recorded in
Essex at the lime of the Flora (1974). Subsequently recorded in this area from Birch Spring in January
1990 and Stoneymore Wood in October 1990, on both occasions by Tim Pyner.
220
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 20 (2003)