Clyne Common walkabout

I've started looking at Sphagnum a bit more critically the odd occasions I have managed to get out recently. During an opportunistic stroll over a small part of Clyne Common yesterday I walked a 300m section of M29 soakway and came across a short section that held a few patches of S. squarrosum and S. angustifolium (photos below), the latter a species not previously recorded in Gower. In addition to abundant Hypericum elodes and Potamogeton polygoyfolius, associates included Warnstorfia exannulata and Straminergon stramineum.

As with last weeks S. teres, it is surprising how localised these more interesting patches of vegetation can be. Much of the area I walked yesterday supported Molinia/wet heath vegetation, the most prominent Sphagna here being denticulatum and papillosum with occasional S. subnitens, the wetter runnels holding locally abundant S. denticulatum, S. inundatum and S. fimbriatum, with S. fallax being rather scarce. One area with evidence of base flushing, i.e. with plenty of Anagallus tenella and Campylium stellatum, looked promising, but other than an increase in S. subnitens held no surprises. I periodically check samples of S. palustre, as I know papillosum can be a surprisingly good pretender and sure enough the Clyne material I'd jotted down as palustre proved to be papillosum. I wonder how may errors there might be amongst some of my casual recording efforts, though I do try and check samples as often as I can. NB Last weeks Fairwood collection was checked and was real palustre.

I've still not yet encountered S. contortum or S. flexuosum in Glamorgan. Hopefully they will reveal themselves in Gower before resorting to visit to Pant-y-sais, where Sam has recorded both. The other South Wales Sphagnum I'd like to see is girgensohnii, so a winter trip to an adjacent county may soon be on the cards.