Frosty Bazzania

On a cold and frosty morning Karen Wilkinson, Christopher Owen and I accompanied Peter Sturgess on a visit to the Bazzania trilobata site near Taffs Well which he discovered in November. We refound it easily enough, on sandstone rocks under beech (revised grid ref: ST139847, but not publicly accessible at present) where it was covering rocks over an area of about 10 square metres. The few associates included a little Scapania nemorea.

More excitingly, we found an even stronger colony a few hundred metres further down the valley at ST136846. This was also on sandstone rocks but in much more open habitat (heathy, though becoming colonised by young birch woodland). There were more associates here, including Scapania gracilis and even Racomitrium lanuginosum only a metre or two away.

Although the Bazzania was a bit frosted it didn't disappoint!

Finally, Peter and co found re-visited the first site after I'd left, once the frost had gone, and found something potentially even more exciting - which Peter will blog about shortly!