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| *****SWAAG_ID***** | 437 |
| Date Entered | 24/01/2012 |
| Updated on | 30/01/2012 |
| Recorded by | Tim Laurie |
| Category | Flower / Plant Record |
| Record Type | Botanical HER |
| SWAAG Site | Bellerby Moor |
| Site Access | Army Range |
| Record Date | 15/01/2012 |
| Location | Bellerby Moor. Small calcareous stream falling to Park Gill Head. |
| Civil Parish | Bellerby |
| Brit. National Grid | SE 092 932 |
| Altitude | 310m |
| Geology | Faulted Namurian Strata above Richmond Cherts. Calcareous stream in shallow valley some 400m below spring head. |
| Record Name | Bellerby Moor. Rough Stonewort (Chara aspera) in stream at Park Gill Head. |
| Record Description | First noticed by Mrs Ann Russell during the recent SWAAG archaeological survey on Bellerby Moor.
Chara spp. are non flowering herbs with a stem composed entirely of cellular tissue in a class of their own, Charaphytes. Chara spp are classified as algae and are not flowering plants. The interest in this plant lies, firstly, in the fact that it can form dense mats in shallow lakes and has the ability to excrete surplus calcium carbonate after fertilisation of the spore capsules. The fine grains of calcium carbonate which are excreted on the spore capsulrs of chara form economic deposits of lacustrine marl present in many lakes. Secondly the cellular structure is of interest in that the cells are very large and can be used to study cell development. Finally Chara absorb nutrients through their cell walls and are indicators of high quality water quality. It follows that any change to the water quality will severely affect the survival of Chara here.
This is the first identification of Chara sp on Bellerby Moor and it will be interesting to determine whether the distribution is local or extensive in the calcareous streams of this locality.
For information on the structure and importance of Chara, see http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/naturallyscottish/stoneworts.pdf |
| Dimensions | See photos |
| Geographical area | Wensleydale |
| Species | Rough Chara |
| Scientific Name | Chara aspera |
| Additional Notes | My grateful thanks to Mrs Ann Russsell for finding chara at Park Gill Beck Head and to Mrs Linda Robinson for the correct identification of this plant as Chara sp. (The identification of this Chara as Chara aspera is my own and is Provisional until confirmed.) Chara spp are algae and do not appear in the regional floras of today.
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| Image 1 ID | 2183 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 1 Description | Rough Chara, (Chara aspera, identified from Sowerby 1876) in Park Gill Head Beck. |  |
| Image 2 ID | 2184 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 2 Description | Rough chara. (Chara aspera, identified from Sowerby 1876.) in Park Gill Head Beck. |  |
| Image 3 ID | 305 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 3 Description | Park Gill Head from burnt mound at Park Gill |  |
| Image 4 ID | 2140 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 4 Description | Rough chara. (Chara aspera.) as James Sowerby's English Botany 3rd Edition,1886. Vol 12. Plate 1919. |  |
| Image 5 ID | 2141 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 5 Description | Rough chara. (Chara aspera.) as James Sowerby's English Botany 3rd Edition,1886. Vol 12. Plate 1919. |  |
