Rigid Bog-moss on Fairwood Common

An M5-M21b mosaic on Fairwood Common held some good patches of Sphagnum teres (above & first below), which were frequent throughout a 1500sqm area. Carex rostrata was a constant in the areas where S. teres was prominent, the other main species of Sphagnum present being palustre (lots amongst marginal scrub - bottom photo), subnitens and papillosum. Plagiomnium ellipticum (photo below) was also found in the same area growing in quite luxuriant wefts along with P. undulatum and between mini-mounds of Campylium stellatum.  A little Cirriphyllum piliferum was unexpected and both ‘normal’ and ‘giant’ forms of Aneura pinguis were present. Some nice quality vascular plants were also present including Comarum palustre, Genista anglica, Menyanthes trifoliata, Narthecium ossifragum, Succisa pratensis and Vaccinium oxycoccos, though only the latter two species in good quantity.

End of year square-bash at Rhosaman

An afternoon square-bash in SN71G took the square total from 5 to 83. I spent most time searching an area of colliery spoil which produced 63 species directly on spoil; nothing exciting, those of general interest included Aneura pinguis, Archidium alternifolium, Aulacomnium palustre (unusually plants were scattered over a steep dry bank with a broken sward), Calliergonella lindbergii, Gymnostomum aeruginosum, Racomitrium ericoides, R. fasciculare, R. lanuginosum, Riccardia multifida, Sciuro-hypnum plumosum (surprisingly frequent on shaley ground). Despite a decent return I was disappointed not to find any Ptilidium, nor any Weissia or Fossombronia spp. to name but a few I was anticipating.  I didn’t have time to walk the wooded banks of the Aman, which could well have taken the square total over 100 ... another day perhaps!  I did manage to take a very quick look in the river by the footbridge, where Hygrohypnum ochraceum covered the larger rocks along with a little Marchantia polymorpha subsp. polymorpha. This may have been my last bryophyte outing in what’s been another very enjoyable year of recording. Best wishes to all for the year ahead...

PS. If anyone can put a name to the brown lichen I’d be interested to know.

 Racomitrium ericoides-Cladonia portentosa spoil community

  Sciuro-hypnum plumosum 

  Aulacomnium palustre

  Lophozia ventricosa 

  unidentified lichen

 Hygrohypnum ochraceum

Dulais Valley at Coynant

A rain-soaked walk through flushed pasture at SN650069 yesterday returned a modest selection of species of local interest including Aneura pinguis, Aulacomnium palustre, Brachythecium rivulare, Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Philonotis fontana, Riccardia chamedryfolia, Sarmentypnum exannulatum, Scapania irrigua, S. undulata, Sphagnum denticulatum, inundatum, squarrosum, subnitens (photo below) & Straminergon stramineum.

Deep mounds of Nardia compressa (photo above) were abundant in the adjacent river and species of interest along the banks included Dichodontium palustre (photo above), Dicranella rufescens, Ditrichum heteromallum (photo above) & Entosthodon obtusus (photos below).

Note the bordered leaf margins, which rules out all other Entosthodon species with erect capsules.