Microbryum starckeanum Starke's Pottia

A very small, autoicous acrocarpous moss which grows in bare, disturbed calcareous soils, usually in coastal locations. It is a rare, Submediterranean, ephemeral species with a rather local southern distribution in Britain, mostly recorded in the west and in Wales, mostly a plant of the southwest. It has a similar distribution to other Microbryum species in West Galmorgan, where it is confined to the calcareous soils of the south Gower coast. Sporophyte capsules are fairly common, which is fortunate because it is necessary to confirm the occurrence of warty protuberrances on the spores (see photo) to ensure a safe identification of this species.