Miscellaneous December mosses (and liverworts!)

Here are a few images of some interesting observations I've not found time to post about over the last few weeks of 2018:

A rubbishy record shot of Campylopus subulatus collected from a forest track at Gwaun Nant-y-bwch during an excursion with Charles on 11th Dec. This is just the third Glamorgan site.

Lopidium concinnum (Hypopterygiaceae) was the most conspicuous of four aliens noted on a Dicksonia antarctica 'trunk' in Swansea's Wyevale on 20th December. Heteroscyphus fissistipus was the only other species I managed to identify. All were recorded as live, although the exposed parts of the Lopidium shoots were dead/bleached.

On the same day I was at Wyevale, I did a quick check of the Kilvey Hill Cephaloziella calyculata colony, but failed to find anything resembling integerrima, the only only other Cephaloziella noted being divaricata. The colony was highly fertile, with male plants (photo) and gemmiferous shoots abundant (photo). Perianth development was, however, uniformly at a very rudimentary stage and well behind those of integerrima seen recently at Crofty. There are still plenty opportunities for exploring unsurveyed areas at this site - i.e. most of it!

The distinctively scented Lophozia bicrenata was found growing with Vezdaea retigera on mine spoil on Cadle Heath Common in Swansea on 21st Dec.

Lophozia ventricosa var. silvicola is occasional on Sphagnum papillosum on Cefn Bryn, 31st Dec. As reported by Sam in the Pembs Bryoflora, it seems this defunct, yet distinctive taxon is the default var. on Sphagnum in our area.

A good quantity of Marchantia polymorpha cf subsp. montivagans "Mountain Liverwort" was encountered mostly 'in stream' in a base-enriched runnel on Cefn Bryn, also on 31st Dec. The large thalli clearly lacked black midribs that characterise subsp. polymorpha, though were darkened a little, as shown by the example below, photographed in natural day light (it was almost dark by the time I got to this spot and to make things worst as I was walking back up the hill I realised I must have dropped my phone in the runnel - fortunately I did manage to find it before the light completely went, sitting amongst Montia in-stream, half soaked, but still working!). I failed to get to grips with the ventral scales of the Marchantia, but I will take another look before sending off a voucher for verification of this potential county first.

Marchantia polymorpha ssp montivagans

I dropped in to Craig y Cilau NNR recently and happened to walk across an area of the raised bog that I may not have visited before - in a few small runnels were some nice patches of Marchantia polymorpha ssp. montivagans.  I have only seen it a couple of times - there is a small cluster of sites in the Crickhowell area.  I had a quick look at the NBN Gateway to get an idea of how many records there are in south Wales - unfortunately there seem to be quite a few BIS data inputting errors muddling the true picture.

I looked hard for this subspecies when recording in Carms - I once managed to convince myself that some material I found near Usk Reservoir was montivagans, but on drying it developed a black median line and turned out to be just typical ssp polymorpha!  When I saw the real thing for the first time it was quite striking - it is a much chunkier plant than polymorpha, with thalli almost twice as wide and rather thick and leathery.  A couple of pics below - unfortunately the plants had been frosted the night before, so not looking their best.

On a nearby willow was a single tuft of Ulota calvescens, which I think is new for the reserve and probably the furthest south-east I have seen it in Brecks.

          

Scratching around in ST27

While the rest of you have been recording exciting bryophytes out in the west, spare a thought for your poor comrade in the east. I've not had a great deal of time for square bashing in recent weeks but have made a few short visits to the Glamorgan part of ST27, and it has been hard work.

ST27D, locate to the north of Cardiff docks, has been particularly tough. There is lots of wasteground vegetation in this tetrad and it has proved interesting for dockland aliens (including Senecio inaequidens and Lepidium graminifolium) and micro-moths, but not so for bryophytes. It is a dry area and almost lacking in woodland, so many common species are missing (or just missed by me). I've only recorded 35 taxa here...I'm sure there will be others, but it is probably not the best use of my time scratching around trying to find them. The only records just about worth mentioning are Brachythecium mildeanum and Dicranella schreberiana.

ST27E was better largely thanks to the Howardian Local Nature Reserve, which has some wetland areas as well as pockets of boradleaved woodland. Around 55 taxa were recorded last Sunday morning, the highlights being Marchantia polymorpha ssp. polymorpha and Oxyrrhynchium speciosum growing together beneath Phragmites.

Marchantia polymorpha ssp. polymorpha

Elsewhere on the site was this patch of Leskea polycarpa on an ash bough away from water, though the surrounding tall herb vegetation might hold standing water in the winter.

Leskea polycarpa

More urban bryos

I've had few opportunities to get out this week, so despite all this exciting Splachnaceae banter, it's back to the humble Pogonatum aloides, which I managed to add to my home tetrad SS59Z this week. I found a small patch in fruit on soil/rock exposure at a building plot in Penyrheol Road no further than 140m from my house, growing along with two other common species that were surprise tetrad ticks; Dicranella heteromalla and Fissidens viridulus, taking my largely urban home tetrad total to 109 taxa.

this plot has been on stand still for about 4 years,
the concrete base in the foreground is covered in Bryum argenteum

Here's the Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis on tarmac in Princess Street, Gorseinon.