SN71 boundary tetrads

As shown above, SN71 is shared between Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire, the former much the poorer cousin of the latter in terms of bryophyte habitats. However, a tetrad with <60 species is always a challenge and  this afternoon I visited the very small bit of SN71C in Glamorgan (i.e. the northern part of the coal storage site south of the Afon Aman shown below), taking it to 70 species. Note the MapMate vc41 boundary is rather crude and shows boundaries in some squares that do not exist (e.g. on the map above it looks like part of SN71H is in Glamorgan, but it isn't and I have corrected some of the squares on the tetrad map after checking the boundary thoroughly using 'Grab a Grid Reference Duo' shown below. Note, you can use the 'toggle vice county' filter below the satellite map to view the appropriate boundary and zoom right in. There are still four more Glamorgan boundary squares to be done in SN71 and two in SN81. A quick look in the Carms Bryo-flora shows the Carmarthenshire squares have all been visited, a couple of which are in the 61-90 species category, so 60-70 seems a realistic target for the remaining Glamorgan squares in this hectad. 

Recording wise, there were no surprises, but it was interesting to note the coal storage area was mildly basic with species noted such as Pellia endiviifolia and Cratoneuron filicinum. I did pop over the bridge into vc44 and noted the coaly track there was much more acidic with frequent Archidium alternifolium (photos below), Gymnocolea inflata, Dicranella heteromalla, etc.

 

The bridge abutments and adjacent walls were of limited interest though Gymnostomum aeruginosum was abundant.

Finally, as is so often the case, the grass (or moss) always looks greener on the other side of the fence (or river), but unfortunately my wellies weren't tall enough to venture across to this part of Carms, but an easy site to access, so maybe worth a check when the river is lower...

Blackrock Quarry

On Sunday I helped out at a habitat management work party at Blackrock Quarry, just north of the A465 near the Clydach Gorge. I only had time for a quick poke about at the base of the limestone quarry face near where I was working, but I was pleased to see plenty of Gymnostomum viridulum growing on soil in crevices - a new species for me. Under the microscope it was good to see numerous multicellular gemmae in the leaf axils.

In the same habitat, and probably of greater interest, was what I think is one of the bryoparasitic ascomycetes which Sam brought to our attention recently. A single orange apothecium caught my eye among a patch of Trichostomum crispulum (I managed to break it in two during collection - see photo below). Microscopic inspection revealed the spore structure nicely (photos below) but I have failed to key it out satisfactorily using the German website. The apothecium was large by the standards of this group, with a diameter of 5mm. No species are listed on the website as parasitic on Trichostomum, though some use the related Tortella and Weissia.

 

Any thoughts welcome. Also, I'm not sure how best to preserve it for future examination!

A quarry at Stormy Down

A survey of one of the Limestone quarries at Stormy Down proved to be reasonably productive today. The Weissia-like acrocarp shown below has me puzzled though: The leaf margins are largely plane, though a few are slightly in-rolled towards the tips; the leaves become in-rolled and very crisped on drying; some patches produce abundant, long, reddish, slightly wavy setae with un-inflated capsules in early development; the leaf cells are papillose and the basal cells are larger and hyaline; the strong orangey-tinged costa ends just below the leaf tip; grows as somewhat loose, sometimes extensive patches, growing along with Leiocolea badensis, Dicranella varia and Didymodon fallax, all of which were locally abundant and characterised the damp, clayey, lime-rich soil on the quarry floor. Other frequent calcicoles noted included Aliona aloides, Aneura pinguis, Trichostomum crispulum and Gymnostomum viridulum, the latter being remarkably abundant on the soil slopes all around the lower edges of the quarry walls. A few patches of Preissia quadrata were also noted on the quarry floor.

Below left; Patches of  Leiocolea badensis frequent on the quarry floor. Below right; Gymnostomum viridulum frequent on slopes all around the edges of the quarry floor.

Below; Gymnostomum viridulum, Sedum sexangulare (doing well!) and Preissia quadrata.