Showing posts with label neesiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neesiana. Show all posts

Sunday, 8 March 2015

Cwm Cathan

Typical valley profile
Yesterday I walked an 800m section the Afon Cathan which runs along the Carms/Glam border. My aim was to do SN60P and I managed 65 species in the square, with and extra 16 species just outside. Given the amazing abundance of Hookeria and Hylocomium, I thought this ancient woodland would have produced a bit more variety than it did, however, the valley is not particularly incised, nor are there any real boulders or cliffs to speak of, plus it is very acidic. In contrast to Sam’s incredible list from Snowdonia, the most interesting species logged here included Brachytheciastrum velutinum, Dichodontium palustre (VC44), Fissidens bryoides var. caespitans, Lejeunea cavifolia, Nardia compressa, Orthotrichum stramineum, Pellia neesiana (VC44) & Saccogyna viticulosa. Some early flying Philopotamus montanus provided a nice diversion.

...about as wild and rocky as things got.
Above left Philopotamus montanus, right a few localised mounds of Pellia neesiana on the vc44 side
Hookeria lucens abundant
Nardia compressa