I was passing Merthyr's 'White Tip' yesterday and couldn't resist spending an hour and a bit to look for the Riccia beyrichiana found last winter. I managed to find good numbers of plants between SO03590721 & SO03560723, which although past their best were recognisable (photos 2 & 3). To illustrate the community, the following species were all direct associates recorded within a 50cm quadrat: Aphanes arvensis, Archidium alternifolium, Arenaria serpyllifolia agg., Bryum dichotomum, Cephaloziella divaricata, Cladonia rangiformis, Danthonia decumbens, Erophila majuscula, Festuca ovina, Fragaria vesca, Hieracium agg., Hypnum cupressiforme var. lacunosum, Linum catharticum, Lotus corniculatus, Luzula campestris, Peltigera canina, Pilosella officinarum, Plantago lanceolata, Poa annua, Prunella vulgaris, Pseudocrossidium hornschuchianum, Racomitrium ericoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Saxifraga tridactylites, Senecio jacobaea, Streblotrichum convolutum var. convolutum, Taraxacum sp., Thymus polytrichus, Tortella inclinata, Trichodon cylindricus & Trifolium dubium. Additional bryos represented in this odd assemblage, with its muddled mix of calcicoles and calcifuges, included Bryum pallens, Campylium protensum, Didymodon tophaceus, Flexitrichum gracile, Gymnostomum aeruginosum, Lophozia excisa, Pseudocrossidium revolutum (photo 4) & Solenostoma gracillimum.
However, it was the abundance of Tortella inclinata that was particularly notable at the site (dominant species in photo 1). This is a species that seems to be particularly well adapted to furnace slag (photo 4) and several sites in Glamorgan support huge populations of this Nationally Scarce species. Without question, brownfield sites are a stronghold in our area. It was interesting to see it growing with Racomitrium lanuginosum, both species being locally abundant here.
