Damp bryo birthday bash

I took the day off work on Tuesday with the intention of a birthday bryo outing to the hills, but the morning rain put me off attempting anything at altitude. So it turned into a woodland day instead - less extreme but thoroughly enjoyable.

I started with a trip to see the Lepidozia cupressina colony at Caerphilly Mountain (found by Peter Sturgess in 2015). It was much easier to find than on our frosty visit in January 2016, though I only found patches of it on three stones (Bazzania trilobata was much more extensive).

 

After that I nipped up to Nant Gelliwion Woodland SSSI on the edge of Pontypridd, where we only scratched the surface during a fungus group foray in September. The site held records of 18 common bryo species, mostly from past CCW surveys, but had clearly never been properly explored.

I spent a couple of hours exploring the stream and the north-facing slope of the woodland, which produced a few species of local significance including two which I think are new for ST08. The best of these was Metzgeria conjugata, which occupied the downstream side of a stream boulder (outlined in photo below). Also of note was Heterocladium heteropterum var flaccidum.

A few other often sterile species were seen with capsules, including Tetraphis pellucida, Homalia trichomanoides and a large, dark green form of Ctenidium molluscum (photos below).

 

Many of the decorticated logs in the wood were covered in Nowellia and one had a couple of patches of Riccardia palmata. A more recently fallen tree held some Frullania tamarisci.

I also have some hair-pointless Racomitrium on which to attempt a nerve section - given the streamside location I'm hoping this might be R. affine.

70 taxa were recorded within the wood; another visit to explore the other side of the valley would surely add more. Additional exploration along the lanes and in the conifer plantation elsewhere in ST08P would probably take this tetrad to a very respectable species total.

Jamesoniella and Plagiochila in abundance

Graham and I searched another previously unknown section of Coedydd Nedd a Mellte SAC today, with oceanic liverworts our primary focus.  This went pretty well, overall, despite stygian darkness that made the search difficult.  Some sections of the Nedd are outstandingly rocky and bryophyte-rich!

We parked at Pont Melin-fach and started off on the west bank downstream of the carpark.  This area (SN90611025) holds one of the largest populations of Jamesoniella autumnalis either of us had ever seen, with some Oak trunks supporting 10s of extensive patches.

The entire bryophyte cover on this tree trunk is Jamesoniella!

After GPSing a good number of Jamesoniella trees and noting Tritomaria exsectiformis and Anastrophyllum hellerianum, we returned to the carpark and headed upstream, again on the west bank.  Jamesoniella and Anastrophyllum were each encountered a few times upstream of Pont Melin-fach, but never in abundance.  Instead, Plagiochila punctata was remarkably abundant, with Graham locating at least 4 colonies including one tree at SN90881076 with 50+ patches of this liverwort.  Although there are a few scattered colonies of P. punctata in the SAC, it is much rarer here than P. spinulosa.  Plagiochila bifaria was also present on one tree, and P. spinulosa was on a few rocky areas.

Remarkably, the Plagiochila punctata trees were in clifftop woodland; Graham is looking at the main tree.

Just before we reached the Plagiochila hotspot, I spotted 6 patches of Drepanolejeunea hamatifolia on a relatively young Ash by a cascading sidestream (SN90871068).  This is about 1.5km from the only previous record of Drepanolejeunea from the SAC, found a couple of months ago.

Further upstream, we found an area of rocky woodland where Bazzania trilobata was locally abundant, with 20+ patches in a 10x10m area (SN91001088).  Despite Coedydd Nedd a Mellte supporting the best example of Oceanic woodland in south Wales, there are very few colonies of Bazzania on the site, even though this species is found much further south and east in Wales than the SAC's rarer oceanic liverworts.

The final notable liverwort of the day is, like Bazzania, more interesting in a Coedydd Nedd a Mellte context than in a wider south Wales context: we found Colura calyptrifolia on at least 4 Hazel and Ash around SN91121105.  Despite this species being found in most of south Wales' conifer plantations, often in great abundance, this is only the 2nd or 3rd time is has been seen in the SAC.  It is, of course, a Hyperoceanic liverwort that used to be restricted in Wales to a few of the best oceanic woodland ravines, and its rarity in south Wales' ravines (even where Aphanolejeunea, Drepanolejeunea, Harpalejeunea and Plagiochila exigua are present) is intriguing.

Another section of this amazing site has now been explored, and more bryophyte hotspots found.  There's still the area upstream of Pont Rhyd-y-cnau to be done, plus the central Mellte.

Frosty Bazzania

On a cold and frosty morning Karen Wilkinson, Christopher Owen and I accompanied Peter Sturgess on a visit to the Bazzania trilobata site near Taffs Well which he discovered in November. We refound it easily enough, on sandstone rocks under beech (revised grid ref: ST139847, but not publicly accessible at present) where it was covering rocks over an area of about 10 square metres. The few associates included a little Scapania nemorea.

More excitingly, we found an even stronger colony a few hundred metres further down the valley at ST136846. This was also on sandstone rocks but in much more open habitat (heathy, though becoming colonised by young birch woodland). There were more associates here, including Scapania gracilis and even Racomitrium lanuginosum only a metre or two away.

Although the Bazzania was a bit frosted it didn't disappoint!

Finally, Peter and co found re-visited the first site after I'd left, once the frost had gone, and found something potentially even more exciting - which Peter will blog about shortly!

Bazzania trilobata near Taffs Well

An interesting discovery during a habitat survey on Monday was Bazzania trilobata near the Nant y Brynau stream, in old woodland between Cardiff and Caerphilly (ST140848). I've not seen this anywhere near Cardiff before so it seems like a good record. A good sized patch of it sprawling over mossy boulders for nearly 10m. Lots of other nice woodland bryophytes with it, Dicranum majus, Rhytidiadelphus loreus and a Lepidozia that seems much chunkier than the usual L.reptans, that I really ought to have another look at.
I've never posted anything on a blog before, so if anyone can read this then Barry's advice at the recorders forum was successful!

The Ptilidium pulcherrimum challenge

Sam mentioned yesterday that he last saw Ptilidium pulcherrimum in Monmouthshire in St. Mary's Vale on edge of Abergavenny in 2001-ish.  It was on one of the thousands of oak trees in the woodland there, so re-finding it if it still grows there seemed a bit of a challenge.  I happened to have car today so nipped up there at lunch time as I thought that even if I couldn't find the Ptilidium I could at least pay my respects to the Bazzania trilobata that grows there.  After half hour of searching I came to a small clearing with a fairly large oak tree and there on the lower horizontal branch were some orangey patches of Ptilidium (sorry about poor photos - taken on phone).  It looks like most of the moss and some Ptilidium has fallen off the tree fairly recently.

I had a look around the tree tops to see if there was any Usnea articulata - no joy, but a couple of tufts of Usnea florida were nice to see this far east.  

Back down the slope examining old stumps for some of the scarcer Dicranum species - again no luck, just Orthodontium lineare.  Lots of Bazzania though and looking very healthy.