Riparian bryos again

Like Barry I've had few opportunities to get out mossing during the last week, but yesterday lunchtime I managed some time in the sunshine and continued working my way north along the Taff Riverbank in Cardiff. This time I was in ST1381, just south of where the Taff passes under the M4, not far from Coryton roundabout. This only leaves one more monad to the north before the riverbank becomes inaccessible - which will mean I can turn my attention elsewhere.

A good range of riverbank species was recorded, but included nothing remarkable...the most interesting species I suppose being Cirriphyllum crassinervium - again growing on the base of a Sycamore in the flood zone, just like the other site at which I've seen it further downstream. The same Sycamore supported a very small tuft of Orthotrichum lyellii just above the high water mark.

Also a troublesome Schistidium on a Poplar trunk, which I'll try and get some photos of tomorrow.

On the way back to the car, I spotted a large pleurocarp growing on a soil bank by the Taff Trail, and was relieved to confirm when I got home that it was as suspected Cirriphyllum piliferum. This has been my 'bogey moss' for a while, and I couldn't understand why I hadn't spotted such a large moss previously. But on checking MapMate I see Barry, Hilary and Charles have only recorded it in about 10 tetrads across NPT and Swansea, so perhaps it is not especially common in Glamorgan.