Oxwich Point

Dicranum bonjeanii & Bryum canariense habitat

A belated post from 15th when I found myself in SS58C. The square was already on 73 taxa, but an extra 29 taxa were added including Schistidium elegantulum, Bryum kunzei, Dicranum bonjeanii (photo below), Plasteurhynchium striatulum & Rhynchostegium megapolitanum. Although Bryum canariense (photo below) wasn't new for the square, this is a new location and one where there was more than I can recall seeing in other parts of Gower. This is a species worth being aware of when searching the Vale limestone exposures; the dark green tufts and serrated upper leaf margins being good field characters.

More Old Castle Down limestone

I was back working on Old Castle Down today and took some time out to investigate another exposed limestone outcrop, this time on the north-facing side of the hill (SS899758).

The flora was broadly similar to that on a nearby west-facing outcrop I investigated a couple of weeks ago (see here), with the notable absence of Entosthodon pulchellus. A few additional species were noted, however, including Scapania aspera, Dicranum bonjeanii and Tortula subulata (photos of these three species below). A small patch of the latter was growing in a rock crevice, the elongated capsules betraying its presence - a new species for me.