Miscellaneous bryophyte news

Although the last month has been a quiet period of recording for us, we managed to get into SN99N at last. We tried to get in there a few weeks ago but the Bwlch road from Abergwynfi to Treorchy was closed. This time, the road was open but the forest track above Cwm Parc was closed, which was where were intending to go. We were beginning to understand why this tetrad had no records in it. So we headed up to Treorchy Cemetry and gave the environs there a bashing, bringing the total for the tetrad to a very modest 45. I hesitate to use the word highlights but patches of Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus in the cemetry and Homalia trichomanoides in a nearby wood were probably the best of the day. When we eventually get up the forest road, I'm sure we'll get the total up to a more respectable number.

Neath Grazing Marsh

The river Neath is tidal as far up the valley as the Tonna weir and just south of that, between the A465 and the river, there is a large area of cattle-grazed marshy grassland which is washed by the highest tides. Much of it is dominated by Juncus effusus, with large areas of Phragmites australis, Glyceria maxima and Carex riparia and lots of Myosotis laxa, Senecio aquaticus and others.  We've not given the bryophytes there much attention but on Saturday some frequent patches of a Hygroamblystegium (Amblystegium) were noted. I thought it was H. varium when I first saw it but the leaves, which are quite widely spaced, have a narrow insertion and the nerve doesn't look long enough. It looks more like the H. humile that Barry found at Llanrhidian last year, but is not as robust nor abundant. Comments welcome.

Hygroamblystegium on Neath Grazing Marsh

While making a species list for one of Glyncorrwg Forest tracks yesterday, we came across a nice population of Equisetum variegatum, which I have never seen in a plantation before. Along a 1mile stretch of gravelled road we recorded 170 species of plants (vascular plants and bryophytes).

Equisetum variegatum along edge of gravelled forest road, Glyncorrwg

Putative Hygroamblystegium humile at Llanrhidian

This robust Amblystegium/Hygroamblystegium, noted growing abundantly in a ringing ride through reed-swamp at Llanrhidian, keyed out as humile using Smith, plus it fits well the characters given in the Field Guide. There's not too much additional material on line I could find that was of real help, so any comments would be very welcome. Key features included:
- stem leaves >2mm, branch leaves quite a bit smaller
- narrow nerve extending 3/4 of way up leaf (not into the tip)
- leaf margins entire
- non-decurrent leaf bases
- leaves well-spaced and widely spreading
I do struggle a bit with these non-descript pleurocarps, so hopefully I'm not way off track!