Large Leaved Limes, Beech and Ash. Rook Clift SSSI, Harting Down. 13.05.25 South Downs

"Rook Clift is a small wooded combe on the scarp slope of the South Downs. The soils are predominantly calcareous in nature, overlying the chalk of the Downs. Deeper soils occur at the foot of the slope, and also the course of a stream, arising within the wood. This site is an ancient woodland which remains in a semi-natural condition. Large leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos dominates the canopy, together with ash Fraxinus excelsior and some beech Fagus sylvatica. Large leaved lime is a nationally scarce tree, with its natural range concentrated on the limestones of the Wye Valley and Peak District. Thus the high concentration of mature coppice stools, occurring on chalk, make this site nationally important and unique within West Sussex and the South Downs Natural Area. ... The steep sided valley around the steam is more open with a canopy dominated by ash and wych elm Ulmus glabra." Nature England SSSI Specification

Large Leaved Lime Tilia platyphyllos

Enterographa Crassa

A distinctive species often dominating large areas of trunk in pure mosaics of small interlocking waxy brown thalli, spotted with small dot like apothecia, which often line up in dendritic patterns. Very common in south western and Irish woodlands on humid shaded trunks. ... On shaded bases and trunks of mature or senescent broad-leaved trees and shrubs, especially in woodlands, ... tolerant of low illumination and moderate levels of pollution. In shaded humid woods it can completely dominated large areas of trunk in pure mosaics of small interlocking thalli. British Lichen Society Enterographa crassa Also common in ancient woodland in Sussex,

Ash, Fraxinus excelsior

Elf-ear lichen, Normandina pulchella

On a fallen ash. This lichen always grows on/with bryophytes (mosses or liverworts); here with the liverwort Forked Veilwort, Metzgeria furcata. It has a characteristic shape but it is very small. It could be confused with Cladonia caespitica; but with a hand lens the bluer central part of its quamules should be obvious, which Cladonia caespitica does not have.

Mosaic with Graphis scripta, Lecanora chlarotera, possibly Arthonia radiata and a Pertusaria sp.

Lecanora chlarotera

Graphis scripta

A Pertusaria sp.

Possibly Arthoina radiata

On dead fallen ash