Deja vu on the Blorenge

Graham's discovery of Tritomaria exsecta got me wondering what else might be present on the slopes of the Blorenge, so I set out for a couple of hours searching the north-western and northern slopes this afternoon.  I have looked at the upper crags and limestone quarries previously, so stuck to the lower tramroad until I reached Cwm Craf.  Bryophytes were slightly disappointing, to be honest, with just 5 additions to tetrad SO21R (taking the total to 198 taxa), but I was amazed to find some Tritomaria on a small rock among bracken at SO26881266.  I have no idea where Graham was looking, but my rock is definitely different to the one in his photo!  My Tritomaria also seems to be different: many of its gemmae are >15um wide, as are many of its lamina cells, so it appears to be T. exsectiformis new for VC35!!

Like Graham, I was rather distracted by lichens.  Ramalina fraxinea was on a rowan and an ash, and appears to be new for VC35; R. calicaris was on the same ash, and the only previous county record was from Caerleon in 1985; Physcia leptalea was on rowan, and likewise was recorded once in 1985; Usnea articulata was on a hawthorn, representing the 3rd county record; and Usnea cf. fulvoreagans on an old fingerpost appears to be new for eastern Wales.  Sphaerophorus globosus on the same rock as the Tritomaria, and Pseudevernia furfuracea on the same signpost as the Usnea also have very few Monmouthshire records.  In truth, though, Monmouthshire is extremely under-recorded for lichens!