Tassel Stonewort Tolypella intricata

Tassel Stonewort (Tolypella intricata) is one of Britain’s rarest stoneworts, associated with shallow, seasonally flooded pools and the drawdown margins of ponds and ditches on calcareous or mildly enriched soils. It has an irregular, sporadic occurrence, sometimes appearing in large numbers when suitable conditions arise and then disappearing as habitats dry out or become overgrown. In Britain, it is largely confined to East Anglia, and Suffolk’s Breckland – with its shallow, fluctuating pools and seasonally wet arable margins – has provided important records. Its unpredictable appearance makes reliable monitoring challenging, but a targeted survey of suitable habitats in the county remains worthwhile. Image: © Danio Miserocchi, iNaturalist.

Find out more: iNaturalist, Plantlife, Freshwater Habitats Trust, Suffolk LNRS information page