Bryophytes & Lichen of the Francis Rose Reserve/Wakehurst Wood part of the Wakhurst and Chiddingly Woods SSSI 18.03.18

I visited Kew's Wakehurst not to look at epiphytic bryophytes and lichens on the introduced trees and plants of its botanical gardens but to see the lichens and bryophytes in the large amount of indigenous high weald ghyll woodland, especially the Wakehurst Wood area of Kew's Wakehurst estate, part of the Wakehurst & Chiddingly Woods SSSI 

Ecology:

The wooded ghylls have been formed by streams cutting through formations of Wadhurst clay and Lower Tunbridge Wells sands, leaving exposed outcrops of sandstone in the valleys. The warm, moist micro-climate allows plants to flourish which are more typically restricted to the west of the country. The streams have been dammed to form a series of ponds with marginal vegetation which contribute to the value of the site for birds. Much of the woodland is semi-natural, but in some areas conifers and rhododendron have been planted. The sandrocks in Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods support rich communities of ferns, bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) and lichens. These are a remnant of a Western ‘Atlantic’ plant community which was once far more widespread in distribution. They include uncommon plants such as the Tunbridge filmy fern Hymenophyllum tunbrigense, bryophytes such as Dicranum scottianum, Orthodontium gracile, Tetrodontium brownianum, Scapania gracilis and Blepharostoma trichophyllum, and some lichens of county importance. Wakehurst & Chiddingly Woods SSSI 

Part of the Wakehurst Wood area of the SSSI is called the Rock Walk, where the Ardingly Sandstones of the Tunbridge Wells series are the home of many cryptograms, this is called the Frances Rose Reserve, after one of Sussex's most important bryologists and lichenologists. 

Here are the species I saw either on indigenous trees, the Ardingly Sandstone, on the ground or in/around the ghylls. Some of these identifications may not be correct; I am still new to bryophytes and lichens, so please do correct me in comments on this post

Amblystegium serpens on bark (Quercus robur?))

Conocephalum conicum in a ghyll (Ardingly Brook)

Aspenium ruta-muraria (a fern) on Ardingly Sandstone

Bryum sp on Ardingly Sandstone

Chrysosplenium oppositfolium (a flowering plant and indicator species of ancient woodland, on the banks of Ardingly Brook)

Cladonia sp, probably C. caespitica on Ardingly Sandstone

Cladonia sp, probably C. coniocrea on Ardingly sandstone

Cladonia sp, probably C. fimbriata on introduced Magnolia

Cladonia sp. possibly C. caespitica

Cladonia sp.

Dicranella heteromalla, on Ardingly sandstone

Evernia prunastri covering the SE side of Juniperus communis

 

Fissidens taxifolius on Ardingly sandstone

Flavoparmelia caperata on Quercus roburQuercus robur

Homolothecium sp. probably H. sericeum on Ardingly sandstone

Hypnum cupressiforme on bark

Hypotrachnya revoluta on Quercus robur

Kindbergia praelonga on bark

Lecidella eleachroma on Quercus robur

Leconora barkmania on bark

Lepraria sp. probably L. finkii on Taxus baccata

Lepraria sp. possibly L. rigidula on Ardingly sandstone

Lichens, various, on Quercus robur

Lunularia cruciata on Ardingly sandstone

Melanohalea elegantula and Parmelia sulcata on Quercus robur

Metzgeria furcata on Fagus sp.

Mnium hornum on Ardingly sandstone

Opegrapha sp. probably O. vermicellifera on Taxus baccata

Parmotrema perlatum on Quercus robur

Pertusaria hymenea on introduced Acer sp.

Phlyctis argena on Quercus robur

Polystichum aculeatum on Ardingly sandstone

Polytrichum sp. probably P. formosum on Ardingly sandstone

Polytrichum formosum with Flavoparmelia caperata on Quercus robur

Ramalina fastigata and Flavoparmelia caperata on Quercus robur

Taxus baccata on Ardingly sandstone - "Rock Walk"

Tetraphis pellucida on Ardingly sandstone

Thuidium tamariscinum on Ardingly sandstone

Xanthoria parietina (and other lichens) on Quercus robur

Zygodon sp probably Z. conoideus on Ardingly Sandstone