While on a fleeting visit to the Nedd Fechan Valley to check out an itinerary for next week's field course, I stopped to admire the abundance of Nowellia curvifolia on the decorticated logs near Sgwd Ddwli waterfall (Brecs) and noted one small patch of Riccardia palmata growing with it. A few years ago H and I found a large patch on a pile of rotten Sitka wood in Crynant Forest, but the site was disturbed by forestry operations and the colony has since disappeared (even though some of the log pile remains). Perhaps it is sometimes ephemeral (?). I remember Sam telling me that it was surprisingly scarce (or apparently so) in south Wales and Ray Woods comments similarly in The Mosses and Liverworts of Brecknock. It's easy to miss. I don't think Martha Newton recorded it her survey, but it may be well known to others at this site; it is certainly not unexpected in moist valleys like this. For the record, it's in monad SN9009 (tetrad SN90E). Graham, let me know if you want the full GR.
I have seen it in that valley, but perhaps not at that location, so yes please send a full grid ref. My impression is that it might have become more frequent in the Neath Waterfalls area in the past few years as I seem to bump into it more often now that did say 10 years ago - could of course be just due to more dead wood at right state of decay being available at moment. I recently came across a copy of Mapmate that I hadn't used, so I played around with it and put a dummy copy of Brecks records in so I could produce maps etc. I still have some more data to add, but i'll add another post with Brecks Riccardia palmata distribution.
ReplyDeleteOK Graham, GR on its way to you.
ReplyDelete