Tuesday 18 May 2021

Encalypta ciliata?

 I don't often seem to find an Encalypta with capsules, so was pleased to find one the other day on Mynydd Llangorse (well actually on the rocky outcrops on Cockit Hill; I'm not fit enough for mountains these days!). It was tucked away in a crevice on a rocky slope below the main 'cliffs'.


I think it's E. ciliata, although the calyptrae don't seem to be ciliate - but it seems to fit in other respects. Fortunately it had both old and new capsules,





Moist capsule is smooth

Peristome teeth are short and seem quite fragile

One spore looked papillose but the vast majority were ridged

The base of the calyptra from below - looks intact, not ciliate?

I'm wondering whether the new capsules are just too immature to have developed the cilia around the calyptrae. They are very young. Unless there's anything else it could be?

Sunday 9 May 2021

Heterocladium wulfsbergii at last!

 I have been religiously checking Heterocladium heteropterum specimens for months, convinced that I should be finding H. wulfsbergii. On Friday, I think I finally found it.

Last year, I explored a bit of the Pontsticill Reservoir area with Sharon Pilkington and Pete Martin and we had a couple of productive days up Cwm Callan. On Friday I decided to investigate the other side, around Cwm-Car. And in a gully just below the waterfall, there it was - covering a vertical rock face. I'm pretty sure that's what it is, but happy to be corrected if anyone disagrees.






And here is the location - just behind the camera on the right:


I'm still checking my other specimens, but so far haven't found anything else of note.

Apologies that I haven't been posting on the blog, but the website rather occupies a lot of time and I do need to get out sometimes. Will try to do more now that website work has settled down a bit.