Chalk Screw Moss Tortula vahliana
Chalk Screw Moss (Tortula vahliana) is a very rare moss of open, calcareous soils – found on bare chalk, chalky arable margins, and disturbed calcareous ground in southern and eastern England. It is one of several calcicolous mosses associated with the Breckland and chalk habitats of Suffolk and Norfolk, where open, disturbed or closely grazed calcareous ground provides suitable conditions. Its distribution in Suffolk is centred on the chalk areas of the west of the county. Like many soil-dwelling mosses of open habitats, it is sensitive to vegetation enrichment and the stabilisation of bare ground. Image: Jonathan Hughes, iNaturalist
Find out more: iNaturalist
Suffolk’s Priority Liverwort and Moss Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
