Callicostella at Singleton Botanical Gardens

There was a healthy colony of a Callicostella  sp. (Hookeriaceae) growing on the bottom of a hanging bromeliad and fern display (photo above) in the garden's hothouse today, along with some other less distinct taxa. There are apparently about 100 species of Callicostella, a tropical genus found mainly in Africa and Central and South America, with one species known from Australia. Growing on bromeliads, it's tempting to speculate it might a be a new world species, but it would seem an impossible task to determine which plant or from which source the original imported material came in on and it seems the chances of naming the species are small. The following images provide a record of the specimen I'll keep for reference.
See HERE for illustrations of the genus.

Also growing with the Callicostella was a species presumably from the Dicranaceae, with shoot apices sporting dense clusters of deciduous leaves/plantlets, giving a distinctive appearance.

Plus something from the Plagiotheciaceae I suspect, pretty much identical to the material I once found in a friends orchid pot (see HERE), resembling a diminutive Pseudotaxiphyllum and likewise fruiting freely.

Finally, coming out of the jungle and keep things real, something native ... there were some nice patches of Cirriphyllum crassinervium on rocks bordering the rose beds, plus some rather luxuriant epiphytic growth on mature Cordyline australis trunks, which included Orthotrichum striatum and Syntrichia latifolia.

Michaelston-le-pit

Saturday's Glamorgan Botany Group trip to Michaelston-le-pit in the eastern Vale provided a good opportunity to have a first look at this woefully under-recorded area. The two tetrads visited, ST17L and G, had only 4 bryo species recorded between them according to Barry's latest map, despite supporting some lovely woodland with botanical delights such as Italian Lords and Ladies (ssp. neglectum), Bird's-nest Orchid, Greater Butterfly Orchid and Herb Paris.

The bryophytes were parched and there were plenty of other botanical and entomological distractions, so my survey was far from thorough, but a few nice species were recorded nonetheless. The rocky limestone woodland held abundant Cirriphyllum crassinervium (including some with old sporophytes), Porella platyphylla, at least one patch of Mnium stellare at the base of a limestone outcrop and Isothecium alopecuroides at the base of an Ash trunk.

Rocky limestone woodland

Cirriphyllum crassinervium (with old sporophytes)

The best find in the valley woodland was a large patch of Fissidens exilis on a soil bank. There seem to be very few recent Glamorgan records of this tiny pocket moss.

Valley woodland

Fissidens exilis (fruiting)

Fissidens exilis - whole plant, showing unbordered leaves

The area certainly warrants a more thorough look in more favourable conditions.

Riparian bryos again

Like Barry I've had few opportunities to get out mossing during the last week, but yesterday lunchtime I managed some time in the sunshine and continued working my way north along the Taff Riverbank in Cardiff. This time I was in ST1381, just south of where the Taff passes under the M4, not far from Coryton roundabout. This only leaves one more monad to the north before the riverbank becomes inaccessible - which will mean I can turn my attention elsewhere.

A good range of riverbank species was recorded, but included nothing remarkable...the most interesting species I suppose being Cirriphyllum crassinervium - again growing on the base of a Sycamore in the flood zone, just like the other site at which I've seen it further downstream. The same Sycamore supported a very small tuft of Orthotrichum lyellii just above the high water mark.

Also a troublesome Schistidium on a Poplar trunk, which I'll try and get some photos of tomorrow.

On the way back to the car, I spotted a large pleurocarp growing on a soil bank by the Taff Trail, and was relieved to confirm when I got home that it was as suspected Cirriphyllum piliferum. This has been my 'bogey moss' for a while, and I couldn't understand why I hadn't spotted such a large moss previously. But on checking MapMate I see Barry, Hilary and Charles have only recorded it in about 10 tetrads across NPT and Swansea, so perhaps it is not especially common in Glamorgan.