After a week away in Cornwall I was ready for a bit of a bryo outing back home, and although I couldn't match Sam's feats I managed a brief bit of square bashing this afternoon in ST0979. This square falls within ST07Z which has only 12 taxa recorded previously (on CCW surveys).
I started with some grotting along a lane beneath the M4, where Lunularia was abundant, then worked north into nicer territory at Capel Llanilltern churchyard.
The highlight was a most unexpected couple of tufts of Racomitrium aciculare on a sloping gravestone, in a very dry looking position. Associates on the grave were Grimmia pulvinata and a single patch of Frullania dilatata.
Other minor highlights among the 45 species recorded were Cirriphyllum piliferum at the edge of the churchyard and Neckera complanata, which was abundant on Ash trunks in the base of the lane-side hedge.
I note there are other records of aciculare from graves in South Wales: one site mentioned in the Pembs book and two in Carms.
ReplyDeleteThis appears to be pretty scarce in the lowlands, a nice record to kick the year off with. I spent 30 mins in Dan-y-graig Cemetery in Port Tennant this morning to give SS69R a boost. Sadly there were no surprises, but it took the total for the square from 47 to 76.
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