Martha Elizabeth Newton B.Sc., Ph.D., D.Sc. (1941–2020)

Our Honorary Member Martha Newton, who passed away on 4 January 2020, had an extraordinary and highly contrasting bryological career marked by world-leading publications, benchmark conservation reports and unforgettable experiences for all those whom she taught. It is beyond question that Martha made an indelible impression on every bryologist she ever met: she was a remarkable though paradoxical woman.

Martha’s bryological roots were almost certainly laid down from childhood. She was born on 11 November 1941 at Lumm Farm, Littlemoss, Limehurst, which her parents ran, and which was then in a rural district of Lancashire but is now in the Metropolitan District of Tameside in Greater Manchester. Appropriately for a future bryologist and implicit in its name, Littlemoss lies to the west of a former moss west of Ashton-under-Lyne which was drained for agriculture and is now crossed by the M60. Since Lumm Farm was accessed by a swing bridge on a branch of the Ashton-under-Lyne Canal, one of Martha's regular excursions to Whixall Moss next to the Shropshire Union Canal, during her Preston Montford field courses, must have brought back vivid childhood memories.

Martha went to Littlemoss School and continued there even after her parents moved to Stalybridge, Cheshire. There followed one year at the co-educational Hyde County Grammar School before she and her sister moved to the newly built Astley County Grammar School, Dukinfield, where she played hockey for the school team and the violin in the orchestra.

The moorland around Stalybridge provided Martha with an ideal environment for developing her interests in Natural History. These were much encouraged by her parents and further enriched by family outings into the varied countryside landscapes within easy access in the counties adjacent to Cheshire. Throughout her life her botanical interests remained deeply wedded to the north of England and, though her bryological research extended south to Antarctica, there is no evidence that she had any desire to travel outside the British Isles

From Astley County Grammar School Martha went to Manchester University where she read Botany, Zoology and Chemistry, specialising in Botany and Zoology in her final year. One of her most influential tutors, and a person who certainly stimulated her taxonomic interests, was Clive Stace whose ‘New Flora of the British Isles’ became established the standard work on the identification of the wild flowering plants, ferns and conifers of the British Isles (Stace 1991). After graduation in 1964 she became a research assistant in the School of Plant Biology, University College of North Wales, Bangor, at a time when this was probably the epicentre of bryological research in Britain. Whilst the former head of department Paul Richards supervised George Argent and Sean Edwards, Tony (AJE) Smith supervised Keith Lewis on bulbifeous Pohlia (Lewis and Smith 1977, 1978) and Martha on bryophyte chromosomes, initially on British mosses but then extending to liverworts. In addition, a 1-year sabbatical by the Australian bryophyte cytologist, Helen Ramsay coincided with Martha’s period in Bangor.

Martha had a real dedication and gift for microscopy. Lasting testimony to the remarkable accuracy of her chromosome counts is that they have now been cited in floras worldwide for over half a century. For example, the huge number of chromosome counts in Jean Paton's ‘Liverwort Flora of the British Isles’ (Paton 1999) are attributed to Martha. Her favourite genus was Pellia because of its particularly large chromosomes. Whilst Martha’s first three moss chromosome papers were co-authored with Tony Smith (Smith and Newton 1966, 1967, 1968) and her first on liverworts with Jean Paton (Paton and Newton 1967) thereafter all her chromosome publications are single author, in contrast to the prevalence of multiple authorship works in the present century. This highly distinctive publication record highlights the singular rather than collaborative nature of microscope work and that Martha liked to work alone.

From 1966 through the 1970s and 1980s and into the early 1990s Martha was a global leader in bryophyte chromosome cytology and, as a consequence, she was invited to contribute reviews and papers on bryophyte cytology to several prestigious volumes, such as: ‘Chromosome morphology and bryophyte systematics’ in Clarke and Duckett's ‘Bryophyte Systematics’ in 1979, ‘Cytology of the Hepaticae and Anthocerotae’ in Schuster's ‘New Manual of Bryology’ in 1983, ‘Cytogenetics of Bryophytes’ in Dyer and Duckett's ‘Experimental Biology of Bryophytes’ in 1984, and she jointly edited (with Peter Wanstall and Stephen Jury) a conference volume of the Linnean Society ‘Bryology: modern research and the ways forward’ published in 1989. Looking back it is a great pity that she did not secure a permanent academic appointment early in her career that would have allowed her to expand her research activities. Perhaps the principle reason for this is that she did not want to migrate far from her northern English roots. It was principally for her bryophyte chromosome work that Martha was awarded a D.Sc. by Manchester University in 1986.

Sadly, her long string of chromosome papers came to an abrupt halt in 1990 when life took her on different paths; running field courses and acting as a consultant. What turned out to be her cytological swansong ‘Practical Guide to Bryophyte Chromosomes’, as the BBS Special Volume No. 2, 1990 remains the ‘bible’ for bryophyte cytologists. Post 1990 her publications were restricted to entries in the Atlas of the Bryophytes of Britain and Ireland and she never produced popular articles about her field courses for Field Bryology.

After completing her Ph.D. in 1967 Martha left Bangor to work, until 1973, for the British Antarctic Survey where she was able to continue her chromosome studies alongside traditional taxonomic work. Though she easily switched her taxonomic and cytological expertise to the Southern Hemisphere, this was never underpinned with foreign travel.

The biggest change in Martha’s career was from 1973 to 1976 when she worked on the chromosomes in the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.). After that, she had a varied series of short term appointments at the Manchester Museum, Manchester University, Leeds University, the extra mural-department at Liverpool University and Liverpool Museum. Here she did editorial work on ‘Flora Europaea’ and was variously engaged in teaching and recording, and acting as general secretary of the North Western Naturalists’ Union; she also did a lot of work co-ordinating the South Lancashire Flora project. These diverse activities gave her only limited opportunities to advance her chromosome studies.

Martha joined the BBS in 1964 as a research student in Bangor and became heavily involved in meetings and recording. She was an Elected Council Member in 1977 and 1978, Meetings’ Secretary from 1980 to 1988 then General Secretary for 11 years from 1989 to 1999. Her long term as secretary was marked by thoroughness, attention to detail and a singular determination to get everything totally and absolutely correct. She never failed to answer letters, however trivial their content, either on a typewriter with a long extinct font or handwritten. Unlike one of the BBS’s previous secretaries, Ted Wallace, Martha’s handwriting was always completely clear and legible. Major differences in opinion sometimes brought her into conflict with other members of the Society, including several presidents, especially as it was not in her nature to compromise. However, everyone found her a delightful and engaging companion in the field.

In 2003 she was made an Honorary Member of the British Bryological Society on the basis of her many years of service to the Society, her major scientific contribution to the cytology of bryophytes and her work in teaching and promoting bryology in Britain (Walton 2004). After this she ceased attending BBS meetings but her bryological activities continued undiminished and through her field courses, beginning in 1978, she was probably the most effective ‘recruiting officer’ the Society has ever known.

For 40 years Martha ran courses for the Field Studies Council and the Scottish Field Studies Association at Preston Montford, Malham Tarn, Rhyd-y-creuau, Orielton, Blencathra and Kindrogan Field Centres. Through these courses Martha became a legend in her lifetime: their like will almost certainly never be repeated. In effect, Martha’s courses turned bryology into a full immersion extreme sport with almost no temporal nor species number limits. Every full day’s fieldwork, including the identification of at least 40 species, was followed by laboratory work long into the night. Breaks for ice cream and coffee or simply a rest were non-existent, or in the days before such things became unacceptable, taken in the laboratory, whilst post dinner drinks, even after 10pm, were positively frowned upon. Despite this approach, or perhaps because of her tireless dedication, the students found Martha’s love of bryophytes, coupled with her devotion to wanting her class to learn, completely infectious. More often than not, they signed up immediately for further courses despite acute exhaustion, both physical and mental. In fact, Martha had a band of loyal acolytes who went on at least one course year after year, even some of those who had vowed, after their first full immersion, never to look at a bryophyte again. On the other hand, Martha’s lack of time keeping and absolute insistence that permission from landowners was obligatory for every site to be visited, particularly for ‘must see species’, sometimes gave field centre staff administrative nightmares. This however, was but a small price to pay for satisfied customers on well-attended courses and, over the years, she was often invited into the homes of farmers who initially had reservations about granting access to their land. What most participants, totally worn out by a week of Martha’s teaching, did not realise was that her staying power had another order of magnitude. She often ran courses back–to–back: how she kept her supplies of field clothing going we will never know. Though a keen bryophyte photographer, Martha was extremely camera shy to the point that, on her field courses, participants were requested not to take pictures of her, and we are grateful to her sister for the two images supplied (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Martha on searching for teaching material on one of her field courses, location unknown. Photographs believed to be by Rita Holmes.

Because of her supreme skills as a field bryologist Martha became increasingly in demand by conservation agencies to carry out field surveys particularly in the north of England and Wales where she was the preferred bryophyte specialist for the Countryside Council for Wales from the 1990s. In 1990 she set up a Biological Consultancy specialising in bryophyte baseline surveys and National Nature Reserve monitoring with numerous contracts probably totalling over 100 and running in parallel to her field courses. One puzzling aspect of this commercial work and its first class reports is that Martha shunned electronic communications and to the end was one of the few highly active bryologists worldwide who were not accessible by email. Amongst her most important projects was a three year (2001–2003) baseline assessment of the liverwort-rich woodlands of north-west Wales, many of which were later notified as the Meirionnydd Oakwoods and Bat Sites SAC. She also pioneered bryophyte monitoring involving small, fixed, gridded quadrats, both in National Nature Reserves such as Allt Rhyd y Groes and Coed-y-Rhygen and on hydropower schemes, including a baseline survey of five north Wales rivers for the Environment Agency. Her monitoring on the Afon Ty-cerrig, in 2004, 2006 and 2012 is one of very few before-after studies of bryophytes on a hydropower scheme. Following her proven track record with CCW from 2005 Martha became the preferred bryophyte specialist for hydropower developers, in part because of her contention that rainfall and topography were the primary drivers of ravine microecology rather than river flows, a position that sometimes brought her into disagreement with the conservation and regulatory agencies. Martha’s contract work was not just limited to Wales: she also did surveys for English Nature, including the Shropshire Mosses, the Long Mynd and Stiperstones and further afield for Scottish Natural Heritage on the Shetland Islands and for the Manx Nature Conservation Trust. In addition, Martha taught the very popular specialist aquatic bryophyte identification courses for the ecologists at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Though Natural Resources Wales have a good record of her reports for CCW, and a system where these can be accessed, she rarely sent her records to the BBS and certainly not records collected when she worked for developers or for her FSC courses. She was of the view that her records belonged primarily to those who employed her. Sadly, many important records may have been lost and all the more so because of one of Martha’s strongest beliefs; bryological secrecy. She had a great, but very much unfounded, fear that publicity about rare and threatened species would lead to over-collecting, or even extinction; and then there was client confidentiality when working for private companies. Needless to say recorders found her stance extremely exasperating, whilst the very act of passing on locality information was seen by Martha as a major betrayal that more often than not produced torrents of acerbic correspondence.

Unlike most bryologists Martha never had a permanent bryophyte herbarium just temporary newspaper packets for identification purposes and on the off chance (extremely rare) that her records might be queried. She was a firm believer in not collecting.

Martha never married and is survived by her sister Jennifer with whom she lived in in Stalybridge in their parents’ home.

M. E. Newton Publications

A set of her publications has been presented to the University of Manchester.

1966

Smith AJE, Newton ME. 1966. Chromosome studies on some British and Irish mosses, I. Transactions of the British Bryological Society. 5:117–130.

1967

Paton JA, Newton ME. 1967. A cytological study of Pellia epiphylla (L.) Corda in Britain with reference to the status of Pellia borealis Lorbeer. Transactions of the British Bryological Society. 5:226–231.

Smith AJE, Newton ME. 1967. Chromosome studies on some British and Irish mosses, II. Transactions of the British Bryological Society. 5:245–270.

1968

Newton ME. 1968. Cyto-taxonomy of Tortula muralis Hedw. in Britain. Transactions of the British Bryological Society. 5:523–535.

Smith AJE, Newton ME. 1968. Chromosome studies on some British and Irish mosses, III. Transactions of the British Bryological Society. 5:463.

1971

Newton ME. 1971. A cytological distinction between male and female Mnium undulatum Hedw. Transactions of the British Bryological Society. 6:230–243.

Newton ME. 1971. Chromosome studies in some British and Irish bryophytes. Transactions of the British Bryological Society. 6:244–257.

1972

Newton ME. 1972. Chromosome studies in some South Georgian bryophytes. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 30:40–49.

1973

Newton ME. 1973. A taxonomic assessment of Bartramia, Breutelia and Exodokidium on South Georgia. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 32:1–14.

Newton ME. 1973. Chromosome studies in some New Zealand and Jamaican bryophytes. Journal of Bryology. 7:399–403.

Newton ME. 1973. Chromosome studies in some British and Irish bryophytes, II. Journal of Bryology. 7:379–398.

Newton ME. 1973. Taxonomic notes on Cheilothela (Lindb.) Broth. and Dicranella (C.Muell.) Schimp. Journal of Bryology. 8:265–268.

Newton ME. 1973. The cytology of bryophytes (Summary). Journal of Bryology. 8:180.

1974

Newton ME. 1974. A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses: IV. Bartramia and Breutelia. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 38:59–71.

Newton ME. 1974. Notes on Antarctic bryophytes: IV. Encalypta Hedw. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 39:1–6.

Newton ME. 1974. Notes on Antarctic bryophytes: V. Brachythecium majusculum M.E. Newton sp. nov. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 39:45–48.

Newton ME, Southern DI, Wood RJ. 1974. X and Y chromosomes of Aedes aegypti (L.) distinguished by Giemsa C-banding. Chromosoma. 49:41–49.

1975

Newton ME. 1975. Chromosomes studies in some British bryophytes. Journal of Bryology. 8:365–382.

1977

Newton ME. 1977. Chromosomal relationships of heterochromatin bodies in a moss, Dicranum tauricum Sapehin. Journal of Bryology. 9:557–564.

Newton ME. 1977. Heterochromatin as a cyto-taxonomic character in liverworts: Pellia, Riccardia and Cryptothallus. Journal of Bryology. 9:327–342.

Newton ME. 1977. A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses: VI. Cheilothela, Dicranella, Distichium, Myurella and Catagonium. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 46:1–21.

Newton ME. 1977. Notes on Antarctic bryophytes: VII. The occurrence of Distichium B.S.G. and Dicranella (C Muell.) Schimp. in the Antarctic botanical zone. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 46:131–135.

1978

Newton ME. 1978. Environmental factors controlling sexual reproduction in mosses of the genus Mnium. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 31:11.

1979

Newton ME. 1979. Chromosome morphology and bryophyte systematics. In: Clarke GCS, Duckett JG, editors. Bryophyte Systematics. London: Academic Press; p. 207–229.

Newton ME. 1979. A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses: VIII. Calliergon and Brachythecium. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 48:133–157.

Newton ME. 1979. A taxonomic assessment of Brachythecium on South Georgia. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 48:119–132.

1980

Newton ME. 1980. Chromosome studies in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic bryophytes. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 50:77–86.

Newton ME. 1980. The annual meeting, 1979, Manchester. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 36:12–17.

1981

Newton ME. 1981. Evolution and speciation in Pellia, with special reference to the Pellia megaspora-endivifolia complex (Metzgeriales), II. Cytology. Journal of Bryology. 11:433–440.

Newton ME. 1981. The bryophyte collections of Jethro Tinker (1788–1871). The Naturalist. 106:111–117.

1983

Newton ME. 1983. A new species of the moss genus Plagiothecium from South Georgia. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 60: 63–67.

Newton ME. 1983. A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses: Campylium. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin. 61: 53–58.

Newton ME. 1983. Cytology of the Hepaticae and Anthocerotae. In: Schuster RM, editor. New Manual of Bryology, I. Nichinan: Hattori Botanical Laboratory; p. 117–148.

Newton ME. 1983. Cell measurement. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 42:59–60.

Newton ME. 1983. Natural variation and diagnostic characters in Gymnostomum, Anoectangium and Molendoa. Journal of Bryology. 12:343–349.

Newton ME. 1983. Numerical uniformity and structural variation of moss chromosomes. Journal of Bryology. 12:587–594.

Newton ME. 1983. Spore germination and sporeling development in Jungermannia sphaerocarpa Hook. Journal of Bryology. 12:471–477.

Newton ME. 1983. The identity of Plagiothecium lucidulum (Hook.f. et Wils.) Mitt. Journal of Bryology. 12: 617.

Newton ME. 1983. Meiotic aberration and reproductive performance in the moss Hookeria lucens (Hedw.)Sm. In: Brandham PE, Bennett MD, editors. Kew Chromosome Conference II. 354.

Newton ME. 1983. Notes on sex determination in bryophytes. The Journal of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory. 54:555–556.

1984

Newton ME. 1984. Questions of procedure in moss cytotaxonomy, new data for some British species. Journal of Bryology. 13:263–268.

Newton ME. 1984. The cytogenetics of bryophytes. In: Dyer AF, Duckett JG, editors. The Experimental biology of Bryophytes. London: Academic Press; p. 65–96.

Newton ME. 1984. Spontaneous and induced meiotic aberration in the moss Hookeria lucens (Hedw.) Sm. In: Zander RH, Crosby MR, editors. Essays on the biology of mosses. Monographs in Systematic Botany from Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol. 11. St Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden; p. 79–91.

1985

Edwards SR, Newton ME. 1985. Systematics Association training course in bryophyte taxonomy. In: Longton RE, Perry AR, editors. British Bryological Society Diamond Jubilee. British Bryological Society Special Volume No. 1. Cardiff: British Bryological. Society; p 87–88.

Newton ME. 1985. Manchester bryophytes (Conversazione exhibit extract). In: Longton RE, Perry AR, editors. British Bryological Society Diamond Jubilee. British Bryological Society Special Volume No. 1. Cardiff: British Bryological Society; p. 75.

Newton ME. 1985. Sex chromosome evolution in bryophytes. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 45:9.

1986

Newton ME. 1986. Bryophyte phylogeny in terms of chromosome cytology. Journal of Bryology. 14:43–57. (see also Errata: Journal of Bryology. 14: 414).

Newton ME. 1986. Pellia borealis, its cytological status and discovery in Britain. Journal of Bryology. 14:215–230.

Newton ME. 1986. The paper-reading meeting, 1985, Cardiff. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 47:5–10.

1987

Corley MVF, Newton ME, Edwards SR. 1987. Didymodon nicholsonii Cul. with sporophytes in England. Journal of Bryology. 14:653–658.

Newton ME. 1987. The paper-reading meeting, 1986, Leeds. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 49:15–24.

Newton ME, Boyce D. 1987. Gemmae in British Leptodontium flexifolium (With.) Hampe. Journal of Bryology. 14:737–740.

Wallace AJ, Newton ME. 1987. Heterochromatin diversity and cyclic responses to selective silver staining in Aedes aegypti (L.). Chromosoma. 95:89–93.

1988

Newton ME. 1988. Chromosomes as indicators of bryophyte reproductive performance, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 98:269–275.

Newton ME. 1988. Chromosomes as indicators of bryophyte reproductive performance [summary from report of R.E. Longton, Linnean Society Bi-centenary Meeting, 1987]. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 52:3.

Newton ME. 1988. Cytological diversity in Pellia endiviifolia (Dicks.) Dum. Journal of Bryology. 15: 303–314.

Newton ME. 1988. The paper-reading meeting, 1987, Wye. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 51:16–22.

Whitehouse HLK, Newton ME. 1988. Tortula brevis sp. nov. and T. stanfordensis Steere; morphology cytology and geographical distribution. Journal of Bryology. 15:83–99.

1989

Newton ME. 1989. Gemma disposition in Dichodontium pellucidum (Hedw.) Schimp. Journal of Bryology. 15:806–808.

Newton ME. 1989. The paper-reading meeting, 1988, Liverpool. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 53:16–25.

Newton ME. 1989. A Practical Guide to Bryophyte Chromosomes. British Bryological Society Special Volume No. 2. Cardiff: British Bryological Society.

Newton ME, Wanstall PJ, Jury SL, editors, 1989. Bryology: modern research and the ways forward. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 98:183–274.

Rumsey FJ, Newton ME. 1989. Scopelophila cataractae (Mitt.) Broth. in North Wales. Journal of Bryology. 15:519–524.

1990

Newton ME. 1990. Genetic structure of hepatic species. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 109:215–229.

Newton ME. 1990 Special Volume No. 2, Practical guide to bryophyte chromosomes (details of contents). Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 55:30.

1991

Newton ME. 1991. Pellia epiphylla (L.) Corda, Pellia borealis Lorbeer, Pellia neesiana (Gott.) Limpr., Pellia endiviifolia (Dicks.) Dum., distribution maps (Britain and Ireland), with notes on habitat, reproduction and world distribution. In: Hill MO, Preston CD, Smith AJE. Atlas of the Bryophytes of Britain and Ireland. Vol. 1. Liverworts. Colchester: Harley Books; p. 281–284.

Newton ME. 1991. Anthoceros punctatus L. (A. husnoti Steph.), Anthoceros agrestis Paton, Anthoceros laevis (L.) Prosk. ssp. laevis, Anthoceros laevis (L.) Prosk. ssp. carolinianus (Michx.) Prosk., distribution maps (Britain and Ireland), with notes on habitat, reproduction and world distribution. In: Hill MO, Preston CD, Smith AJE. Atlas of the Bryophytes of Britain and Ireland. Vol. 1. Liverworts. Colchester: Harley Books; p. 325–328.

1992

Newton ME. 1991. Dichodontium pellucidum (Hedw.) Schimp., Dichodontium flavescens (With.) Lindb., distribution maps (Britain and Ireland), with notes on habitat, reproduction and world distribution. In: Hill MO, Preston CD, Smith AJE. Atlas of the Bryophytes of Britain and Ireland, Vol. 2. Mosses (except Diplolepidae) Colchester: Harley Books; p. 131–132.

1993

Newton ME. 1993. Tribute to Eustace Jones, Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 62:35.

1994

Newton ME.1994. Amblystegium serpens (Hedw.) Br. Eur., Amblystegium fluviatile (Hedw.) Br. Eur. (Hygroamblystegium fluviatile (Hedw.) Loeske), Amblystegium tenax (Hedw.) C.Jens. (Hygroamblystegium tenax (Hedw.) Jenn.), Amblystegium varium (Hedw.) Lindb., Amblystegium humile (P.Beauv.) Crundw. (Leptodictyum humile (P.Beauv.) Ochyra), Amblystegium saxatile Schimp. (Campylium radicale (P.Beauv.) Grout), Amblystegium riparium (Hedw.) Br. Eur. (Leptodictyum riparium (Hedw.) Warnst.), Amblystegium compactum (C.Müll.) Aust. (Conardia compacta (C.Müll.) Robins.), distribution maps (Britain and Ireland), with notes on habitat, reproduction and world distribution. In: Hill MO, Preston CD, Smith AJE. Atlas of the Bryophytes of Britain and Ireland, Vol. 3. Mosses (Diplolepidae). Colchester: Harley Books; p 269–276.

1995

Newton ME. 1995. Obituary of: Bescoby, B.E. (1909–1994) (including photograph), Journal of Bryology. 18:836.

1999

Blackstock TH, Newton ME. 1999. A second British locality for Gymnocolea acutiloba in North Wales, and observations from the Rhinog National Nature Reserve. Journal of Bryology. 21:157–158.

Newton ME. 1999. Bonus bryophytes (Summary). Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 72:49–50.

2002

Lowell J, Newton ME. 2002. Progress with South Lancashire (VC 59) flora – a plea for help. Bulletin of the British Bryological Society. 78: 63.

2014

Newton ME. 2014. Sematophyllum demissum. Field Bryology. 113: 65.

Acknowledgements.

I am most grateful to Martha’s sister Jennifer for providing details of Martha’s early life and to Sam Bosanquet, Des Callaghan, Mark Hill, Liz Kungu, David Long, Howard Matcham, Ron Porley, Chris Preston and Phil Stanley for information on her bryological career.