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.

 

Hard as Flint(shire)

Two days mapping calcicolous grasslands in NE Wales gave me a brief opportunity to record in Flintshire, Wales' most bryologically unknown Vice-county.  My calcicolous survey site was just across the boundary in Denbighshire, and it produced a good range of scarcities including Riccia subbifurca (new for VC50), Encalypta vulgaris, Ditrichum flexicaule, Orthothecium intricatum, a non-fruiting limestone Seligeria, and a Tortella that keys to T. densa but is perhaps just a form of T. tortuosa.

This Tortella has an almost epapillose adaxial side of the nerve and scarcely undulate leaves,

but the spiralling leaf arrangement doesn't fit the continental interpretation of Tortella densa. 

The same thing is found at scattered sites in NW Britain, eg on Rhum.

Two conifer plantations seemed to offer the best chance of new county records for Flintshire, as the county lacked any record of such common species as Marsupella emarginata, Racomitrium heterostichum and Ulota phyllantha.  It still lacks the first two, but I succeeded on the epiphyte front with U. phyllantha at Nercwys Mountain, and then U. phyllantha, Orthotrichum striatum, Metzgeria consanguinea and Pylaisia polyantha (all new for VC51) at Gwernto Plantation.  Nercwys Mountain also produced the first Flintshire records of Lophozia incisa on a path and Sphagnum girgensohnii on an anonymous peaty bank.

This is where Sphagnum girgensohnii grew - thoroughly unremarkable!

Highlight of the trip was rather unexpected.  I collected an abundantly fruiting Bryum from the tennis court at my accommodation (Soughton Hall had a half-price offer; I wouldn't normally stay somewhere so posh!), and microscope checking showed it to be Bryum creberrimum: a Nationally Scarce (if under-recorded) moss that was new for Flintshire and also for me!

Two photos of the endostome of Bryum creberrimum: one showing wide holes in the endostome teeth

and the other showing apendiculate cilia 

Flintshire didn't produce the bonanza of new county records I had hoped.  There's more to be added, but it's going to be hard (as flint).