Meeting report

The British Bryological Society held its Annual Meeting and Excursion at Fort William, Inverness-shire, from June 24th to July 1st, 1939; thirty-four members and friends were present. A good deal of the Ben Nevis range and surrounding country was explored, beginning with the nearby Corpach Moss, and, owing to a drought of several weeks duration, it was easy to walk over the usually submerged areas. A striking feature was sheets of Cotton grass with huge dangling silvery heads; also the starry white flowers of the large Sundew. The first attack on the Ben Nevis massif took place up Glen Nevis, driving seven miles up a rough track, followed by a winding path to the top of the Glen and the Waterfall. The bryophyte flora was in an unusual state of desiccation, many plants crumbling to dust at a touch. Most of the well-known rarities wore seen, and some additional records made for this rich area. The shores and woodland around Loch Linnhe occupied another day. A break in the weather delayed the ascent of Ben Nevis; when the summit was reached its rarities were hidden under the snow. The limestone rocks of Creag Aoil, near Fort William, added many species. Other parts of Lochaber wore visited, Glen Roy, Glenfinnan, Ardgour, etc.

The Annual Meeting took place on June 27th under the Presidency of Miss E. Armitage. At the conclusion of the business the President read her presidential address on “Naiadita, a Rhaetic Bryophyte.”

The Lists, which follow, include the rarer species found, with localities; new records for v.c. 97 (Westerness) are starred.

SPHAGNA

Arranged by Mr. A. Thompson; all are new records for v.c. 97 except those marked (v.c. 98).

Sphagnum girgensohnii var. robustum, Pass of Glencoe (v.c. 98); var. microcephalum, Glen Nevis. S. molle var. molluscoides, Glen Nevis and moor near Tulloch station; Clachaig Inn, Glencoe (v.c. 98). S. compactum var. subsquarrosum, Corpach Moss and Glen Nevis; var. imbricatum, Loch Linnhe and Ben Nevis. S. squarrosum var. subsquarrosum, side of Ben Nevis. S. amblyphyllum var. macrophyllum, Camusnagaul and Glen Nevis. S. recurvum var. parvulum, Glen Nevis. S. fallax var. laxifolium, bog near Creag Aoil . S. cuspidatum var. plumulosum, Glen Nevis. S. subsecundum var. robustum, Glen Nevis. S. auriculatum var. tenellum, Fort William; var. laxifolium, Glen Nevis; var. submersum, bank of Red Burn, Ben Nevis; Pass of Glencoe (98). S. crassicladum var. magnifolium, near Fort William and Arisaig; Pass of Glencoe (98); var. intermedium, Ben Nevis. S. camusii, Arisaig. S. papillosum var. sublaeve, Corpach Moss.

TRUE MOSSES

Andreaea alpina, A. nivalis and var. fuscescens, Ben Nevis. Tetraphis browniana, Glen Nevis. Ditrichum tenuifolium, Fort William. Seligeria pusilla*, Creag Aoil. Rhabdoweisia crenulata*, Glen Nevis. Campylopus flexuosus var. zonatus*, Glen Nevis. Dicranum schisti, D. starkei, D. uncinatum, D. asperulum, Ben Nevis; D. bonjeani var. rugifolium*, Corpach Moss. Fissidens decipiens*, Creag Aoil. Rhacomitrium ellipticum, R. ramulosum*, Ben Nevis. Barbula rubella var. dentata*, Glen Nevis; B. tophacea*, B. spadicea*, B. convoluta*, Creag Aoil. Weisia curvirostris*, Sunart. Trichostomum crispulum* and var. brevifolium*, Creag Aoil; T. tenuirostre, Glen Nevis. Zygodon lapponicus, Z. conoideus, Glen Nevis. Ulota hutchinsiae, Ben Nevis. Orthotrichum anomalum var. saxatile*, Ballachulish; O. cupulatum*, Creag Aoil; O. affine*, Coire Choille, Spean Bridge. Schistostega osmundacea* ; this very rare moss, only once before found in Scotland, in Stirlingshire, was discovered by Mrs. Combe of Achriabhach, Glen Nevis, in a cave at the head of Glen Nevis on July 24th, after the visit of the B.B.S. Splachnum sphaericum, S. ampullaceum, Corpach Moss. Tetraplodon mnioides, Ben Nevis. Aulacomnium androgynum*, Glen Nevis. Conostomum boreale, Ben Nevis. Bartramia oederi, Creag Aoil; B. pomiformis var. crispa*, Glen Nevis. Philonotis seriata, Glen Nevis. Leptobryum pyriforme*, Webera annotina var. erecta* and var. bulbifera*, Glen Nevis. Bryum filiforme, B. inclinatum*, Glen Nevis; B. pendulum*, B. atropurpureum var. gracilentum*, Fort William. Cinclidium stygium*, desiccated, on dried marsh, Loch Oich. Neckera pumila*, Loch Sunart; var. philippeana, Glen Nevis. Anomodon viticulosus*, Creag Aoil. Orthothecium intricatum*, Creag Aoil. Brachythecium glareosum*, and Eurhynchium swartzii*, Creag Aoil. Amblystegium sprucei*, Glen Nevis. Hypnum stellatum var. protensum*, Creag Aoil; H. cupressiforme var. filiforme*, Glen Nevis; var. tectorum, Creag Aoil; H. callichroum and H. molluscum var. condensatum*, Glen Nevis; var. fastigiatum*, Creag Aoil; H. molle, Ben Nevis; H. arcticum*, Glen Nevis; H. schreberi c. fr., Glen Roy.

HEPATICS

This is a very short list, nearly all from Ben Nevis and Glen Nevis. Aneura latifrons, A. palmata. Marsupella stableri, M. pearsoni. Gymnomitrium obtusum, G. crenulatum, G. varians. Lophozia alpestris. Sphenolobus ovatus, S. exsectus, S. exsectiformis. Anastrepta orcadensis. Plagiochila punctata. Chiloscyphus polyanthus. Nowellia curvifolia. Bazzania tricrenata. Herberta hutchinsiae. Scapania subalpina var. undulifolia, S. umbrosa. Pleurozia purpurea. Lejeunea patens. Harpalejeunea ovata.

At Creag Aoil:- Metzgeria pubescens*, Lophozia mulleri, Scapania aspera. On Corpach Moss:- Odontoschisma sphagni, Calypogeia trichomanis, Scapania gracilis. Near Fort William:- Calypogeia fissa, Microlejeunea ulicina, Frullania germana, Loch Linnhe; F. fragilifolia, Kinloch Leven.

Eleonora Armitage