Lower Clydach River above Pont Llechart

Another short visit into this cascade-free and almost cliff-free valley revealed no real surprises, with just a few tetrad additions. Species noted of general interest included Colura calyptrifolia (photo below), Fontinalis squamosa, Heterocladium heteropterum var. flaccidum, Schistidium rivulare, Solenostoma paroicum, and Trichostomum tenuirostre (photo below).

This Ash supported Radula complanata at a level of abundance I've not seen before; all of the green growth visible being this species.

Non-bryological interest was provided by a little bit of Sticta fuliginosa agg./sylvatica growing on a willow, a genus in which all species appear to be very rare in Glamorgan.

Odd Orthotrichum

The above tuft was noted in a young Ash plantation near Pont-Henri, where many of the trees looked to be in very poor health. Essentially it is O. pulchellum but with capsules on very short setae, resulting in them being hidden among the shoots. I couldn't make it anything rarer unfortunately, but would be interested to know if this appearance is unusual?

The trees may be sickly, but the extra light seems to have allowed the bryophytes to do well ...

... with abundant Frullania dilatata, 3 Metzgeria spp. & Radula complanata  

Radula lindenbergiana

A quick follow-up from my visit to Coed Tremadog last Friday.  I collected some Radula from a large patch on a basic igneous rock in south-facing coastal woodland in the hope it might be R. lindenbergiana.  There was also R. complanata on rocks in the wood, but all was abundantly fertile (monoicous with male bracts below perianths, and often with fruit) whereas this large patch appeared sterile in the field.  A microscope check revealed the collected Radula to be dioicous female R. lindenbergiana, with pairs of long-keeled, large-lobuled female bracts.  The female bracts in the photo are especially distinctive, sitting between a pair of branches.

The only south Wales record of Radula lindenbergiana comes from south-facing rocks in central Pembrokeshire, but apparently non-fertile Radula has been found a couple of times in southern coastal areas and the species' distribution in SW England suggests we may be overlooking it.  Confirming dioicous colonies is not easy though!