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24th October

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The final group from Ards Forest.

 

Heavy rain.

Lobaria pulmonaria  - a foliose lichen - is highly intolerant of sulphur dioxide and is therefore a good indicator of very clean air. I haven't found it anywhere else. The cyanobacterium that makes the lichen green is a strong fixer of atmospheric nitrogen which replenishes the ground nitrogen when the lichen dies and falls.

 

Another lichen is this Cladonia. The 'spires' are about 3 cm tall, with minute red fruitbodies at the tip.

This Broad-leaved Helleborine was growing at the interface of the woodland and maritime grassland. I only ever find this species as single specimens, and usually at woodland fringes or clearings. Epipactis helleborine.

A couple of late flowers. Ribwort Plantain (left) and Knapweed (right).

    

Another fungus: Taphrina tosquinetii makes these galls on Alder leaves.

A couple of shots of Marasmius sp. growing on coniferous twigs. Parts of the forest are covered in these.

    

 

And what appears to be Leptoglossum retirugum on moss.

 

Finally, an unidentified micro fungus on a fallen Oak leaf.

 

A muscid on a late Catsear.

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