Western Rustwort
Encyclopedia
Marsupella profunda is a liverwort
.
The species is rare in a British context; it is known from just three locations, all in west Cornwall
. Two of these sites are protected as the Lower Bostraze and Leswidden SSSI
and the other as St Austell Clay Pits SSSI. It is also internationally rare, being known only from Portugal, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira; throughout this range it is a rare species.
At the Lower Bostraze and Leswidden SSSI, Western Rustwort is generally found growing on micaceous or clay waste substrates which are flat or gently sloping. Some patches occur on granitic rocks,usually where these are soft or crumbling. It appears to be a pioneer species, the largest populations being found on surfaces showing the early stages of colonisation by other bryophytes and by vascular plants.
The species has several conservation designations. It is listed on Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
, in Appendix 1 of the Bern Convention
, and in Annex II of the European Community Habitats and Species Directive.
Marchantiophyta
The Marchantiophyta are a division of bryophyte plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like other bryophytes, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of genetic information....
.
The species is rare in a British context; it is known from just three locations, all in west Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. Two of these sites are protected as the Lower Bostraze and Leswidden SSSI
Lower Bostraze and Leswidden SSSI
Lower Bostraze And Leswidden SSSI is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, located on the Penwith Peninsula, Cornwall, a little to the east of St Just, approximately 8 km west of Penzance....
and the other as St Austell Clay Pits SSSI. It is also internationally rare, being known only from Portugal, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira; throughout this range it is a rare species.
At the Lower Bostraze and Leswidden SSSI, Western Rustwort is generally found growing on micaceous or clay waste substrates which are flat or gently sloping. Some patches occur on granitic rocks,usually where these are soft or crumbling. It appears to be a pioneer species, the largest populations being found on surfaces showing the early stages of colonisation by other bryophytes and by vascular plants.
The species has several conservation designations. It is listed on Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom and was implemented to comply with the Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds...
, in Appendix 1 of the Bern Convention
Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats
The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats 1979, also known as the Bern Convention , came into force on June 1, 1982....
, and in Annex II of the European Community Habitats and Species Directive.