Census Catalogues

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Introduction

Census Catalogues list – for each species or taxon – the Watsonian vice-counties in which it has been recorded, and are a useful tool for regular recorders. Full catalogues are produced every 10 years or so, but updates are periodically issued in the form of Interim Census Catalogues. All catalogues will be made available on this page, with the latest at the top.

Interim Census Catalogue 2023

by S.L. Pilkington and N.G Hodgetts, with technical assistance from T.L. Blockeel

The 2023 Census Catalogue updates the printed version from 2021 (see below) with all vice-county records accepted by the end of 2022. It also introduces, for the first time, the distributions of 8 new or revised taxa.

A PDF file of the 2023 Census Catalogue, published June 2023.

Download Census Catalogue

The 2023 Census Catalogue data in spreadsheet format.

Download Census Catalogue data

A Census Catalogue of British and Irish Bryophytes 2021

by T.L. Blockeel, N.G. Hodgetts, S.L. Pilkington and O.L. Pescott

The last full catalogue was printed in 2008 (see below) and since then there have been numerous changes to the nomenclature and systematics of our bryophytes, in many cases prompted by molecular studies. Almost 40 mosses and liverworts have also been added to the British and Irish list in the intervening years.
Following the publication of a new bryophyte checklist for Britain and Ireland in 2021, this new edition of the Census Catalogue reflects current bryophyte nomenclature and incorporates the numerous updates to the known distribution of our bryophytes at a local level up to and including 2020. Please note that this initial version of the Census Catalogue does not include new records made during 2021.

The Census Catalogue is available to download here in PDF and spreadsheet format. The PDF is identical to the printed version. The spreadsheet version contains the data from the PDF/printed catalogues, but in a more searchable form. It will periodically be updated as new data becomes available.

For those who prefer a printed copy, it is available as an A5 softback book which can be ordered below.

Census Catalogue correction

Please note: in the new Census Catalogue, the entries for the former Telaranea murphyae, now considered a synonym of Tricholepidozia tetradactyla, were not transferred to the latter species. The entries for vice-counties 1, 9 and 11 are therefore missing under T. tetradactyla. They will be formally reinstated in the Liverwort Year report for 2021.

Downloads

Blockeel, T.L., Hodgetts, N.G., Pilkington, S.L., Pescott, O.L. 2021. A Census Catalogue of British and Irish Bryophytes 2021

The 2021 Census catalogue, including all records made up to the end of 2020.

Download the Census Catalogue
Blockeel, T.L., Hodgetts, N.G., Pilkington, S.L., Pescott, O.L. 2021. Census catalogue data

The 2021 Census Catalogue data in spreadsheet format.

Download the spreadsheet
Blockeel, T.L., Hodgetts, N.G., Pilkington, S.L., Pescott, O.L. 2021. Census Catalogue names

A spreadsheet of the species names included in the 2021 Census Catalogue, with BRC codes.

Download the spreadsheet

Ordering the the printed Census Catalogue

Order your printed copy/ies using the PayPal link below (note that payment will be taken immediately), or by completing the attached order form and posting with a cheque, according to the instructions on the form.

The price of the printed Census Catalogue is:

United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland: £9.95 inclusive of postage and packing.
Overseas: Please add an additional £5.00 per copy for delivery (total inc. P&P £14.95).

For bulk quantities, please email info@britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk for a price.

Please select your delivery location from the drop down list and click on the PayPal button. You will then be taken to the secure PayPal server where you can specify the quantity you require, and will be asked for your details. Payment can be made by credit or debit card and does not require a PayPal account.

Select delivery location

Download order form (postal orders)

Previous Census Catalogues

Details and scans of all Census Catalogues published by the BBS, and prior to this the Moss Exchange Club, are given below with the latest first. Many thanks to Dr Philip Stanley for providing most of these.

Blockeel, T.L. & Hodgetts, N.G. 2018. BBS Interim Census Catalogue 2018

This interim Census Catalogue includes additions and amendments compiled 2008-2018, as well as records that had been submitted to the Biological Records Centre but had not been entered to the database in time to prevent their vice-county being signified as an old (pre-1960) record in the printed 2008 Census Catalogue. This version also includes the amendments resulting from preparation of the 2014 BBS Atlas.

This census catalogue was only published online.

Download Census Catalogue
Blockeel, T.L. & Hodgetts, N.G. 2018. Census catalogue data

The 2018 Interim Census catalogue data in spreadsheet format

Download the spreadsheet
Hill, M.O, Blackstock, T.H, Long, D.G & Rothero, G.P. 2008. Check-list and Census Catalogue of British and Irish bryophytes. 

Publisher: British Bryological Society.  Paperback, laminated covers. 184 pages.

Printer: Latimer Trend & Co. Ltd., Plymouth

The 2008 Census Catalogue presents a full revision of the classification, nomenclature and vice-county distribution of British and Irish bryophytes.  In 304 genera it lists 1056 species (4 hornworts, 297 liverworts, 755 mosses), 7 subspecies and 88 varieties.  Genera are arranged in families and orders according to recent global taxonomic arrangements by Crandall-Stotler, Stotler & Long (2008) for liverworts and Goffinet & Buck (2004) for mosses.  Nomenclature generally follows the standard British floras of Paton (1999) and Smith (2004).  All deviations from the nomenclature of these floras are fully annotated.  The 68764 vice-county occurrences correspond to an average 62 records per listed taxon, of which 10% are old (i.e. pre-1960) records.  All listed vice-county occurrences correspond to at least one localized record in the BBS database.

The 2008 catalogue is still available to order from the BBS Librarian, see The BBS Library, Sales & Loans

Download Census Catalogue
Blockeel, T.L. and Long, D.G. 1999. A Check-list and Census Catalogue of British and Irish Bryophytes (1998): Supplementary Lists of Deleted, Recent and Replacement Records.

28 pages

Publisher: BBS (Paperback) ISSN: 0142-3169

Printer: Prontaprint, 37a Broadway, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE1 1SQ

Download the supplement
Blockeel, T.L. and Long, D.G. 1998. A Check-list and Census Catalogue of British and Irish Bryophytes

208 pages, including 20 page index to species

Publisher: BBS (Paperback) (National Museum & Gallery of Wales, Cardiff, CF1 3NP) ISBN: 0-9507639-7-7

Printer: H. Charlesworth & Co. Ltd.

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Corley, M.V.F. and Hill, M.O. 1981. Distribution of Bryophytes in the British Isles, a Census Catalogue of their Occurrence in Vice-Counties

160 pages, including 4 page index to genera

Publisher: BBS (Paperback) (National Museum & Gallery of Wales, Cardiff, CF1 3NP) ISBN: 0 9507639 0 x

Printer: W.S. Maney & Son Ltd., Hudson Road, Leeds LS9 7DL

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Paton, J.A. 1965. Census Catalogue of British Hepatics.

50 pages, including 1 page index to genera

Publisher: BBS (Paperback). Also available with plain interleaves.

Printer: W.S. Cowell Ltd., Butter Market, Ipswich

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Warburg, E.F. 1963. Census Catalogue of British Mosses.

86 pages, plus 2 page index to genera

Publisher: BBS (Paperback) Also available with plain interleaves.

Printer: W.S. Cowell Ltd., Butter Market, Ipswich

Download Census Catalogue
Sherrin, W.R. revised by Thompson, A. 1946. Census Catalogue of British Sphagna.

8 printed sides (only printed on 1 side of each unnumbered sheet, no index).

Publisher: BBS

Printer: Martin’s Printing Works, Ltd., 64 & 66 West Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Download Census Catalogue
Sherrin, W.R.  1937. Census Catalogue of British Sphagna.

8 printed sides (only printed on 1 side of each unnumbered sheet, no index).

Publisher: BBS

Printer: Martin’s Printing Works, Ltd., 64 & 66 West Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed

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Duncan, J.B. 1935. Supplement to Census Catalogue of British Mosses (2nd Edition).

6 pages, no index

Publisher: BBS

Printer: Martin’s Printing Works, Ltd., 64 & 66 West Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Download the supplement
Duncan, J.B. 1935. Supplement to Census Catalogue of British Hepatics (3rd Edition).

3 pages, no index

Publisher: BBS

Printer: Martin’s Printing Works, Ltd., 64 & 66 West Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Download the supplement
Wilson, A. 1930. Census Catalogue of British Hepatics

42 pages, plus 1 page index to genera

Publisher: BBS. Also available with plain interleaves

Printer: Martin’s Printing Works, Ltd., 64 & 66 West Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Download Census Catalogue
Duncan, J.B. 1929. Supplement to Moss Catalogue

3 pages, no index

Publisher: BBS

Printer: Unknown

Download supplement
Duncan, J.B. 1926, Census Catalogue of British Mosses

64 pages, plus 1 page index to genera

Publisher: BBS. Also available with plain interleaves

Printer: Martin’s Printing Works, Ltd., 64 & 66 West Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Download Census Catalogue
Ingham, W. assisted by Jones, D.A., Macvicar, S.M., Waddell C.H. and Marquand, E.D. 1913. Census Catalogue of British Hepatics

35 pages, plus 1 page index to genera

Publisher: M.E.C. Also available with plain interleaves

Printer: W.H. Western, Printer & Publisher, Darwen

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Barker. Prof.[T.], Ingham, W., Jones, D.A., Meldrum, R.H., Waddell, Rev. C.H., Lett, Canon [H.W.], and Marquand, E.D. 1907. Census Catalogue of British Mosses

63 pages plus Exchange List, no index

Publisher: M.E.C (paperback) Also available with plain interleaves

Printer: Coultas and Volans, Electric Printing Works, Little Stonegate York

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Macvicar, S.M. 1905. Census Catalogue of British Hepatics

24 pages, including 1 page index to genera

Publisher: M.E.C.

Printer: Coultas and Volans, Electric Printing Works, Little Stonegate York

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Dixon, H.N. 1897. “Handbook” Catalogue of British Mosses

20 pages, including 1 page index to genera & covers

Printer: V.T. Sumfield, Eastbourne

Download Handbook