Anomodon viticulosus in Resolven

I associate Anomodon viticulosus with limestone, although it is known to grow occasionally on base rich sandstones. It is fairly local in VC41 and it's one of those fairly strict calcicoles that I would not expect to find in the heart of the South Wales Coalfield in NPT -  but I will understand it if you are not as excited about this as me! Anyway, yesterday H and I did some recording on the Afan Nedd and we came across it on a shaded railway bridge over the river near Resolven, quite a disjunct location in a South Wales context, particularly since it rarely produces sporophytes.

Anomodon viticulosus on railway bridge near Resolven

The riparian habitat hereabouts has a nice flora. It supports a large population of Saxifraga granulata and is the most southerly location for Crepis paludosa in the British Flora. Along the river corridor Wych Elms (and  some Small-leaved Lime) provide the canopy for a diverse woodland flora with some conspicuous bryophytes such as Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, R. loreus and sparkling patches of Cirriphyllum piliferum, an uncommon moss in NPT. 

Cirriphyllum piliferum, Resolven

Homalia trichomanoides is abundant on the boles of riverside trees, Mnium stellare is frequent on riverside banks and the silty flood zone has a significant amount of Mnium marginatum; a much larger population than I had previously thought.

 Minim marginatum var. marginatum, Resolven

Waterfall Country - a bryological paradise

The Nedd, Mellte, Hepste and Pyrddin valleys are bryologically outstanding, with oceanic species such as Aphanolejeunea microscopica and Plagiochila exigua reaching their southern British limit, and some scarce woodland species in quite remarkable abundance.  Graham had to formulate a view on likely management impacts in an area of the Dyffrynnoedd Nedd a Mellte SAC that had no previous bryophyte records, and I accompanied him on a visit yesterday so that we could get as full a picture of the locality's richness as possible... and boy was it rich!

Jubula and Jamesoniella were in here

The day started with Bartramia ithyphylla and Pohlia wahlenbergii both with sporophytes on outcrops above the track, then a check of some crags in the river's flood zone produced Distichium capillaceum and fruiting Mnium marginatum, with plentiful Grimmia hartmanii on boulders nearby.  A log by the path held the first Cephalozia catenulata of the day, alongside Nowellia, and these were soon followed by the first Jamesoniella autumnalis on a log in a ravine.  A side-valley of the main river held an incredible abundance of both Jamesoniella (on logs and rocks) and Anastrophyllum hellerianum (on humid oak trunks), as well as the 3rd known colony of Jubula hutchinsiae in the SAC.  I suggested that the rocks looked suitable for Tetrodontium brownianum, and sure enough some overhangs in a ravine were bristling with this species.  Highlight of the day came as we made our way back south along the foot of a sunny crag: peardrop-scented Frullania fragilifolia, new for the SAC and the hectad, with Plagichila bifaria at its 2nd SAC locality nearby.  The day was thoroughly worthwhile because we can now work out exactly how to carry out management that will benefit the woodland and its outstanding bryophyte flora.

Photos of most of those highlights follow: only the Anastrophyllum and Plagiochila escaped my camera.


Bartramia ithyphylla

teeny tiny Cephalozia catenulata

a cushion of Distichium capillaceum

Frullania fragilifolia (peardrop scent unfortunately not apparent from this photo)

Grimmia hartmanii with typically falcate leaves

Male Jamesoniella autumnalis on a log

Brackets of Jubula hutchinsiae in a ravine

fruiting Mnium marginatum

fruiting Pohlia wahlenbergii (not something I see fruiting very often at all)

Tetrodontium brownianum growing vertically downwards

Rivers Tawe & Clydach

Some pit-stop recording today helped fill in a few gaps and provided a few records of interest. Finding some real Mnium marginatum (photos above) on the silty banks of the Tawe has finally put me on the right track with this species. But just as one puzzle is solved another pops up ... this time some locally abundant Hygrohypnum growing on silty boulders in the River Clydach. I've been unable to find any trace of hyaline auricles, only pigmented incrassate alar cells which appear to have granular material within them. Given the habitat I was expecting it to be ochraceum, not luridum (any comments welcome on this, some ropey shots of sample leaves below). A final brief stop at a sandstone crag at Tor Clawdd produced some beautiful Pohlia elongata and Scapania compacta growing amongst Marsupella marginata var. marginata on a sunken boulder.