I was down at Porthkerry with the family yesterday and after paying homage to the Southbya colony which Gareth found last year (which was very easy to find, on the first bit of dripping cliff after heading west from the beach) I collected some Bryum samples from the limestone cobbles at the back of the beach (general habitat photo below - bryophytes were mostly out of frame to the left of the shot).
These look to be two different species, but I'm confused by both of them. The first (photos below) has long, straight leaves with a longly exurrent nerve (untoothed) and prominent (often pinkish), recurved leaf borders. The basal cells are unicolorous with the rest of the leaf; rhizoids are brown and coarsely papillose and I couldn't find any tubers. I ran it down to couplet 32 in Smith, but at this point the lack of capsules left me stuck.
The second species at least had capsules, but attempting to key it out using Smith led to various unlikely possibilities. This moss also has short shoots but with much smaller leaves (approx. dichotomum size) that are strikingly concave. Leaves are obscurely bordered and with margins recurved usually on one side only. The nerve is excurrent and slightly toothed and the leaf bases are reddish. Again, rhizoids are papillose (but more finely so) and I couldn't find any tubers. Photos below.
Associates included Barbula sardoa, Hypnum resupinatum (I think - unusually small) and Homalothecium lutescens. I hope the photos and text will be helpful - any suggestions appreciated, thanks.
I'm not sure about the leaves, but the capsules look like Funaria? I do like that stretch of coast.
ReplyDeleteDuh...of course, thanks Barry. There was Funaria growing near the Bryum so the capsules must be coming from that.
ReplyDeleteSo, neither of the Bryum were fruiting - which probably makes ID even more challenging!
It's a fiendish genus! The first leaves certainly look interesting - imbricatum-like, but without capsules, I doubt there's much can be done to get an acceptable id. I've no idea about the second one.
ReplyDeleteAbandon the first, or return in summer in case it's B caespiticium; the second could be an extreme form of B dichotomum.
ReplyDeleteThanks both...we're bound to be down there in the summer at some point so will hunt for capsules then.
ReplyDeleteglad you found the Southbya..shame it wasnt ice cream weather at the tuck shop !
ReplyDeleteIt was ice cream weather in my books - the sun was shining (any excuse!)
ReplyDelete