The easternmost of the west

Work took me to the valley of the Afon Diliw, which forms the border between Ceredigion and Montgomeryshire.  A couple of hours looking for bryophytes (and lichens) produced about 80 species in the main tetrad (SN87I) and 50 in the fragment of SN87J that falls within VC46.  Getting here involves driving in from the east (so it's a major trek from Aberystwyth) because the road in from Cwmystwyth is only suitable for 4x4, so as far as I know it was completely unknown bryologically.

There weren't any major surprises, and my hoped for oceanic liverworts were absent (except for copious Colura).  The most interesting species were Pohlia elongata (photo) on a rock outcrop, Jungermannia obovata by the river, Sphagnum girgensohnii (photo) and S. russowii (photo) on steep banks, and a patch of Lophozia incisa.  Lichens need a bit more checking, but Usnea filipendula and potential Hypotrachyna sinuosa were highlights.

 

Tan y Darren

Yesterday I had a thoroughly enjoyable time exploring the north-facing crags and screes at the head of Cwm Dare. It was a bit of a flying visit as I had to get back for the school run, and as usual I spent too much time looking at other habitats on the walk in from the car. I did manage to have a decent look at the screes, but after that I only had an hour left to look at the sandstone crags. This gave me enough time to explore the easternmost crags, but I didn't even make it as far west as the area where filmy ferns have been recorded.

The crags didn't disappoint, despite the lack of any obvious base enrichment. There were a couple of cracking patches of fruiting Diphyscium foliosum in rock crevices (photo below - left), a few capsules of Pohlia elongata protruding from under an overhang (photo below - right), a small patch of Cynodontium bruntonii, quite a lot of Polytrichastrum alpinum (tbc), as well as Bartramia pomiformis and Fir Clubmoss.

The screes held abundant cushions of Andreaea rothii (ssp falcata) (photo below - right) and I found a single cushion of the scarcer A. rupestris (photo below - left, though I'm kicking myself I didn't bring back a shoot to check for the similar-looking rare species). Although the rocks were acidic, the small stream which I followed up the hill from the cwm had signs of base enrichment with plenty of Ctenidium molluscum and a little Palustriella commutata. So far my list for SN9601 is 58 taxa, but I still have samples to sort through...

Fifty five taxa were recorded on the walk in through SN9602, including Climacium dendroides on colliery spoil and Riccardia palmata on a stump in wet alder woodland.

It's definitely an area which needs another visit!

The distinctive capsules of Pohlia elongata collected from a recess in the grassy slopes below the crags at Cwm Clydach (the Swansea one SN681051) yesterday. Now recorded from 5 tetrads in Glamorgan

 

The Glamorgan records make the sole Monmouthshire site - in the far west of VC35 - make good sense.