I noticed some fine cushions of
Ptychomitrium polyphyllum on a large boulder near where I parked the car at Rhos Common yesterday. Charles and Hilary have already recorded this species in the same monad, SN7907. It struck me that I've not seen this species on my (admittedly limited) upland surveys in NE Glamorgan, and the distribution map in my copy of MapMate seems to bear this out, with no dots in eastern RCT, Merthyr and Caerphilly, though there are plenty in upland NPT and Swansea.
Barry - any chance of a complete distribtion map for VC41 (I don't seem to have all the records in my system yet)? A photo would be nice too if you have one. It would also be interesting to see a VC35 map if you get chance Sam. Thanks.
My only photo of Ptychomitrium is a poor one of a tuft growing epiphytically on Poplar bark near the Ebbw Vale steelworks, about 15 years ago.
Thanks Sam. That's not what I expected! So, the paucity of records from NE Glam might be an artefact due to under-recording. It's odd we didn't see it at Craig y Llyn last year though.
ReplyDeletevc35 and vc41 maps indicate the apparent absence from large parts of East Glamorgan are probably due to under-recording as you suggest. I'd be very surprised if it is not frequent in areas of moderate elevation where there are sandstone exposures/boulders. Now you've got your eye in I suspect you'll start seeing it a bit more often. As for C-y-L I have recorded it there and it's possibly it just never got mentioned. I never use record cards, but an advantage of using one is that it helps within checking off the commoner species.
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