Wednesday 21 October 2015

Abercanaid road cutting

Light green patches are Campylium protensum 
 left: C. protensum & D. inclinatum, right D. inclinatum

An opportune and totally random stop just off the A470 for a 15 minute bash to boost SO00R produced some useful records including Distichium inclinatum, Gymnostomum aeruginosum and some lovely dense cushions of Campylium protensum. The cutting was well vegetated with quite a lot of scrub, but open areas with loose shale and the occasional rock exposure supported a distinct suite of seepage calicoles, with the above species all being well represented.
Campylium protensum
Distichium inclinatum (NB capsules occasional, just not on this bit)

4 comments:

  1. Excellent records, especially the Distichium. The south Merthyr area has enormous potential for bryological exploration.

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  2. Indeed, one of the sites I'd like to visit when time allows is the old spoil tip and ski slope on the east side of that tetrad. It held some Lycopodium clavatum back in 2007 when I was last there.

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  3. A nice collection of species Barry. Looking at your Campylium portensum pics I wonder whether I've been overlooking this species. It looks quite erect in your photo and I've been expecting plants to be prostrate. Perhaps I need to revisit some of the plants I've been calling Campylium stellatum.

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  4. The habitat is often a useful pointer.

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