BBS Spring Meeting 2016 Radnorshire

Meeting Report

rFig 1 (above). The survey team.N. Hodgetts. sFig 2 (below). Floribundaria floribunda and Orthostichella versicolor hanging from braches in Atewa. N. Hodgetts. spp. There are also communities of epiphyllous and Groutiella laxotorquata, often with small leafy liverworts, with Cololejeunea spp., Colura Lejeuneaceae such as Lejeunea brenanii and spp., Drepanolejeunea spp., Leptolejeunea Ceratolejeunea calabariensis creeping through rLooking across Wye Valley from Gilfach Farm Nature spp., etc. Canopy species include abundant them. Standing and fallen dead wood is also BBS Spring Reserve. R. Hodd. Campylopus savannarum, Macromitrium sulcatum much richer than at lower altitudes. Similar communities also grow in patches of swamp Mark Hill reports forest and by pools at the bottom of valleys and Meeting 2016 in hollows. on this year’s Spring A total of 164 taxa were found, of which about Radnorshire Meeting held in 13 species of liverwort and 45 species of moss are new to Ghana. These include a new species 7-12 April 2016 Radnorshire VC43 of Cololejeunea that will be described in a future paper. This survey therefore contributes further he Spring Meeting 2016 was based in Wye, which enters from the north as little more evidence for the importance of Atewa Forest and Llandrindod Wells, former county town than a brook, then heads south, curving round the necessity for conserving it and managing of Radnorshire (vice-county 43) and and growing into a wide lowland river as it it properly. It is hoped to follow up this brief nowT an administrative centre in Powys, Wales. leaves the county at Rhydspence near Hay-on- survey with further fieldwork over the next few The BBS last met here in 1965, and it was a Wye. Most of the county lies to the east of the years and by developing the relationship with pleasure to welcome back David Chamberlain, Wye and has a moderately oceanic climate with botanists in Ghana. who had attended on the previous occasion. Our annual rainfall 900-1,000 mm. To the west of For a fuller account see Journal of Bryology 38: headquarters was the Glen Usk hotel in the centre the Wye, the Elan Valley has a markedly oceanic 211-22 (2016). of Llandrindod, but lab work and committee climate, with average rainfall 1,800 mm. Most meetings took place at Llysdinam Field Centre, of the county lies above 300 m. There are no Reference just across the River Wye near Newbridge. Some mountains, and the highest elevation, 660 m, is McCullough, J., L.E. Alonso, P. Naskrecki, H.E. Wright members also slept there. The meeting was well in Radnor Forest just 10 km from the English and Y. Osei-Owusu (eds.). (2007). A Rapid Biological attended, with 43 bryologists and 3 spouses. border. Assessment of the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Eastern Radnorshire, with 26,000 inhabitants, is the Because of the large size of the party, we split Ghana. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 47. least densely populated vice-county in southern into 3 groups on most days and into 4 groups Conservation International, Arlington, VA. Britain. Its most significant feature is the river on the Saturday and Monday. In addition, the

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rFig 1. Riccia subbifurca on disturbed ground by the upper Teme. P. Bowyer. who told him that he should ski in his spare time, Barbilophozia kunzeana. not look at plants! The group found 116 species The third group started in Llandrindod itself BRECOG recorders were active on the BBS The second group started in Llanbister, where but rather little of note except Aloina aloides, at Rock Park, home of the bowls club. This fringe on most days. All excursions were in they found Fissidens exilis in the churchyard. Dicranum bonjeanii and Bryoerythrophyllum produced 90 species, including Orthotrichum Radnorshire. Vice-county records are indicated They moved to Tylcau Hill RWT (Radnorshire ferruginascens. rivulare, Schistidium rivulare and Syntrichia thus *. Wildlife Trust) reserve, which featured a stream The second group was led by Tom Blockeel, latifolia by the River Ithon below the town. They and wet alder woodland. Mark Pool found and started in the valley of the Edw near went on to the Bower, an area of rocky pasture Thursday 7 April Fissidens bryoides var. caespitans; Nick Law Llanbadarn-y-garreg. Exposed and lightly wood near Howey. Riccardia latifrons (freely Sharon Pilkington led a group to the gorge found Trichocolea tomentella. They went on to shaded basic rocks in the valley near the car park fruiting on rotten wood), Trichocolea tomentella, of the upper River Teme, in the north of the the source of the river Lugg (wittily termed the produced some vigorous calcicoles, including Loeskeobryum brevirostre and Plagiothecium county. Here there were base-rich mudstones Lugg Hole by one participant). The small gorge Reboulia hemisphaerica, Anomodon viticulosus latebricola were in wet woodland near the stream. and calcareous springs. Tom Ottley collected produced Ditrichum gracile, Philonotis calcarea and Neckera crispa, and on a much smaller scale On a large open rock, a rather upright member Polytrichum commune var. perigoniale* on a shaly and Racomitrium elongatum, but nothing like the Seligeria recurvata. Philonotis arnellii was on soil of the Grimmiaceae deceived us in the field bank by the road. The morning’s foray down to riches of the upper Teme. The Lugg Hole itself on a rock ledge, and Rhynchostegiella teneriffae but proved to be only Racomitrium fasciculare. the river produced about 100 species including proved to be acidic, with submerged Sphagnum and Trichostomum crispulum on the banks of Finally the group went on to look at streams and Leiocolea collaris, L. turbinata, Metzgeria inundatum, disproving the theory that all the stream. The group then went on a long trek low crags south of Gilwern Hill. Pohlia elongata, conjugata, Aloina aloides, Diphyscium foliosum, submerged Subsecunda are S. denticulatum. up Cwmblaenerw, initially through woodland found by Liz Kungu, and Blindia acuta, found Ditrichum gracile, Gymnostomum aeruginosum The third group included Mark Lawley which lacked any significant exposures of rock by Mark H, were not seen elsewhere during the and Orthothecium intricatum. An expanse of and Sam Bosanquet, and went to Maelienydd but added Jungermannia atrovirens, Riccardia meeting. exciting-looking flushes and a small waterfall Common, one of Radnorshire’s old commons, palmata and Plagiothecium curvifolium. Just higher up the valley tempted a small splinter ‘rough grazed’ by sheep and wet in places, before lunch, Mark Lawley called at Penberth Saturday 9 April group (Sharon, Paul Bowyer and John Norton) with plentiful sphagnum. Mark had previously Farm, to say that he had delivered a dead lamb Elan Valley ranger Rob Andrew drove an elite away from the planned afternoon excursion and found Barbilophozia kunzeana and Hamatocaulis to a sheep in distress; she was in a bad way and group comprising Paul Bowyer, Tim Kaye, yielded many more species, including Marchantia vernicosus, which were duly refound. The belonged to a neighbour. En route to the higher Mark Lawley and Gordon Rothero to Claerwen polymorpha subsp. polymorpha, Riccia subbifurca, Barbilophozia was noted in small quantity in ground the group saw Leucodon sciuroides on at the western extremity of Radnorshire, close Anomobryum julaceum s.str., Bryoerythrophyllum three places, but Hamatocaulis grew in tens of several ash trees in pastures above the woodland. to the border with Ceredigion. The aim was to ferruginascens, Hymenostylium recurvirostrum, thousands around a seasonal pool. Cladopodiella There was insufficient time on the high ground explore the Claerwen National Nature Reserve. Orthotrichum rupestre, Philonotis calcarea, fluitans and Scapania paludicola were also seen to explore the promising springs thoroughly but Mark found Atrichum crispum on shingle by the Plagiomnium elatum and Scorpidium revolvens. growing in sphagnum mires, and Sam grabbed Dicranum bonjeanii, Hamatocaulis vernicosus and Afon Claerwen. The rock and soil on the hill Meanwhile, the main party made a village stop some Syntrichia ruralis var. ruraliformis* from both Scorpidium cossonii and S. revolvens were were for the most part unremittingly acidic, but in Felindre producing Bryum pallescens but little the roadside. In the afternoon they went to present, the latter with sporophytes. Most of the Tortella bambergeri turned up on two boulders, else of note. Camlo Hill, where an area of forestry produced group had to depart early because of committee accompanied by Amphidium mougeotii and

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Diplophyllum obtusifolium, Oligotrichum meetings back at base, but Mark and Sean hercynicum and Plagiothecium curvifolium. Sam O’Leary pressed on. One gently sloping flush found Colura calyptrifolia* on Salix. It was later sported numerous hummocks of sphagnum found in two other places but is clearly not – just the habitat Mark was looking for, and common in Radnorshire. indeed produced a few shoots of Scapania paludicola. A few metres further on, another Friday 8 April sphagnum hummock contained the diminutive Gordon Rothero led a group to Aberedw Hill, Cephalozia pleniceps. The final flush rewarded and was astonished by the farmer at Tremaen, patient searching by revealing a few shoots of rFig 1. Riccia subbifurca on disturbed ground by the upper Teme. P. Bowyer. who told him that he should ski in his spare time, Barbilophozia kunzeana. not look at plants! The group found 116 species The third group started in Llandrindod itself BRECOG recorders were active on the BBS The second group started in Llanbister, where but rather little of note except Aloina aloides, at Rock Park, home of the bowls club. This fringe on most days. All excursions were in they found Fissidens exilis in the churchyard. Dicranum bonjeanii and Bryoerythrophyllum produced 90 species, including Orthotrichum Radnorshire. Vice-county records are indicated They moved to Tylcau Hill RWT (Radnorshire ferruginascens. rivulare, Schistidium rivulare and Syntrichia thus *. Wildlife Trust) reserve, which featured a stream The second group was led by Tom Blockeel, latifolia by the River Ithon below the town. They and wet alder woodland. Mark Pool found and started in the valley of the Edw near went on to the Bower, an area of rocky pasture Thursday 7 April Fissidens bryoides var. caespitans; Nick Law Llanbadarn-y-garreg. Exposed and lightly wood near Howey. Riccardia latifrons (freely Sharon Pilkington led a group to the gorge found Trichocolea tomentella. They went on to shaded basic rocks in the valley near the car park fruiting on rotten wood), Trichocolea tomentella, of the upper River Teme, in the north of the the source of the river Lugg (wittily termed the produced some vigorous calcicoles, including Loeskeobryum brevirostre and Plagiothecium county. Here there were base-rich mudstones Lugg Hole by one participant). The small gorge Reboulia hemisphaerica, Anomodon viticulosus latebricola were in wet woodland near the stream. and calcareous springs. Tom Ottley collected produced Ditrichum gracile, Philonotis calcarea and Neckera crispa, and on a much smaller scale On a large open rock, a rather upright member Polytrichum commune var. perigoniale* on a shaly and Racomitrium elongatum, but nothing like the Seligeria recurvata. Philonotis arnellii was on soil of the Grimmiaceae deceived us in the field bank by the road. The morning’s foray down to riches of the upper Teme. The Lugg Hole itself on a rock ledge, and Rhynchostegiella teneriffae but proved to be only Racomitrium fasciculare. the river produced about 100 species including proved to be acidic, with submerged Sphagnum and Trichostomum crispulum on the banks of Finally the group went on to look at streams and Leiocolea collaris, L. turbinata, Metzgeria inundatum, disproving the theory that all the stream. The group then went on a long trek low crags south of Gilwern Hill. Pohlia elongata, conjugata, Aloina aloides, Diphyscium foliosum, submerged Subsecunda are S. denticulatum. up Cwmblaenerw, initially through woodland found by Liz Kungu, and Blindia acuta, found Ditrichum gracile, Gymnostomum aeruginosum The third group included Mark Lawley which lacked any significant exposures of rock by Mark H, were not seen elsewhere during the and Orthothecium intricatum. An expanse of and Sam Bosanquet, and went to Maelienydd but added Jungermannia atrovirens, Riccardia meeting. exciting-looking flushes and a small waterfall Common, one of Radnorshire’s old commons, palmata and Plagiothecium curvifolium. Just higher up the valley tempted a small splinter ‘rough grazed’ by sheep and wet in places, before lunch, Mark Lawley called at Penberth Saturday 9 April group (Sharon, Paul Bowyer and John Norton) with plentiful sphagnum. Mark had previously Farm, to say that he had delivered a dead lamb Elan Valley ranger Rob Andrew drove an elite away from the planned afternoon excursion and found Barbilophozia kunzeana and Hamatocaulis to a sheep in distress; she was in a bad way and group comprising Paul Bowyer, Tim Kaye, yielded many more species, including Marchantia vernicosus, which were duly refound. The belonged to a neighbour. En route to the higher Mark Lawley and Gordon Rothero to Claerwen polymorpha subsp. polymorpha, Riccia subbifurca, Barbilophozia was noted in small quantity in ground the group saw Leucodon sciuroides on at the western extremity of Radnorshire, close Anomobryum julaceum s.str., Bryoerythrophyllum three places, but Hamatocaulis grew in tens of several ash trees in pastures above the woodland. to the border with Ceredigion. The aim was to ferruginascens, Hymenostylium recurvirostrum, thousands around a seasonal pool. Cladopodiella There was insufficient time on the high ground explore the Claerwen National Nature Reserve. Orthotrichum rupestre, Philonotis calcarea, fluitans and Scapania paludicola were also seen to explore the promising springs thoroughly but Mark found Atrichum crispum on shingle by the Plagiomnium elatum and Scorpidium revolvens. growing in sphagnum mires, and Sam grabbed Dicranum bonjeanii, Hamatocaulis vernicosus and Afon Claerwen. The rock and soil on the hill Meanwhile, the main party made a village stop some Syntrichia ruralis var. ruraliformis* from both Scorpidium cossonii and S. revolvens were were for the most part unremittingly acidic, but in Felindre producing Bryum pallescens but little the roadside. In the afternoon they went to present, the latter with sporophytes. Most of the Tortella bambergeri turned up on two boulders, else of note. Camlo Hill, where an area of forestry produced group had to depart early because of committee accompanied by Amphidium mougeotii and

54 FieldBryology No116 | Nov16 FieldBryology No116 | Nov16 55 rFig 3. Gordon Rothero leads the BBS on a trolley jolly to Llandrindod Wells. C.F. Carter. From left to right: Bowyer, Powell, Meilleur, Tordoff, Morris, Carter, Hill, Bell, Ruffino, Quartly-Bishop, Kungu, Crittenden, Stribley, Chamberlain, Pescott, Baker, Rothero, Bates, Bates, Godfrey, Pilkington, Hodd, Kaye, Norton, Lawley, O’Leary, Jeffery, Pool, Graham, Burton, Law, Blockeel, Ghullam, Ellis, Rayner, Ottley.

rich flush near the bottom of the cascade, and They found 111 species, includingJungermannia Heterocladium wulfsbergii was plentiful in the atrovirens, J. pumila, Solenostoma paroicum, cascade itself. Dicranella rufescens and Oxystegus tenuirostris rFig 2. Claerwen NNR and desperate Molinia with Mark Lawley dutifully attending to bryophytes. G.P. Rothero. s.l. Gordon pointed out Dichodontium flavescens Fissidens dubius; Palustriella commutata and wet ground marked on the map as Cors Goch Sunday 10 April on riverside rocks (not fruiting and therefore Campylium stellatum grew in a couple of flushes. was disappointing. Numbers were high on the Sunday morning, unacceptable as a vice-county record). They Around mid day, it snowed for an hour, and soon Most of the same species were found in and Mark H found it hard to manoeuvre his then went to continue the exploration of the the scene was bryologically unfriendly. It was Nant Methan. Additions were Anastrophyllum unwieldy squad. Gilfach Farm nature reserve. Roy Jeffery and not a day for dawdling over nature’s diminutive minutum (wanted for Radnorshire, but not One group explored woods and fields along the Mark Pool went south of the River Marteg, and beauties, and the bryologists retreated to collected), found by Rory Hodd, Saccogyna western shore of the River Wye near Cwmcoch. found 68 species but none of special note except civilization as the weather closed in again. viticulosa and Grimmia ramondii. Polytrichastrum sFig 4. Sheets of Isothecium holtii by the River Wye. R.L. Hodd. Two groups met up at the car park by alpinum and Racomitrium elongatum were found Nantgwyllt church to explore Cwm Coel on quarry spoil. Nearby was Plagiomnium (previously well explored) and Nant Methan cuspidatum, on lime-enriched turf at base of (bryologically unknown). The Cwm Coel party an old quarry building. The party moved to had less far to go, and explored the trackside Nant Brithgwm, where they found Racomitrium and damp ground, which produced Sphagnum heterostichum (in the form often separated as flexuosum and S. teres (both squarrose and terete R. obtusum) and Sphagnum compactum. Finally forms). Plentiful Calliergonella lindbergii was they went to Gwaelod-y-rhos, which produced admired on the track near Cwm Coel, and Alan Colura calyptrifolia (also on sallow in a conifer Rayner found Diphyscium foliosum on the bank. plantation), Archidium alternifolium and Cwm Coel itself produced Campylopus atrovirens, Sphagnum russowii. Dicranodontium denudatum, Dicranum fuscescens The fourth group went to the River Wye at and Leucobryum glaucum (strangely, the Rhayader and Marteg Bridge, recording Fontinalis Leucobryum was not seen elsewhere). Jeff and squamosa, Isothecium holtii and Orthotrichum Joyce Bates, BRECOGing, found Rhabdoweisia rivulare. Then they went to the western part fugax nearby. Snow fell at lunch time but fairly of Gilfach Farm nature reserve, where they soon melted. On moorland above the Cwm were found Scapania scandica and Hedwigia stellata. Sphagnum capillifolium subsp. capillifolium* and A subgroup went to Nant Gwynllyn, west of locally plentiful Thuidium delicatulum, but the Rhayader. Sphagnum contortum grew in a base

56 FieldBryology No116 | Nov16 FieldBryology No116 | Nov16 57 rFig 3. Gordon Rothero leads the BBS on a trolley jolly to Llandrindod Wells. C.F. Carter. From left to right: Bowyer, Powell, Meilleur, Tordoff, Morris, Carter, Hill, Bell, Ruffino, Quartly-Bishop, Kungu, Crittenden, Stribley, Chamberlain, Pescott, Baker, Rothero, Bates, Bates, Godfrey, Pilkington, Hodd, Kaye, Norton, Lawley, O’Leary, Jeffery, Pool, Graham, Burton, Law, Blockeel, Ghullam, Ellis, Rayner, Ottley.

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Monday 11 April bryologists proceeded past Riccia beyrichiana, R. Stanner Rocks is the most famous bryophyte nigrella and R. subbifurca on the quarry floor, and site in Radnorshire, and Sam Bosanquet had Bartramia stricta, Grimmia ovalis and Schistidium promised to lead a group of 10 bryologists there pruinosum on previously quarried rocks, before to view the only extant British population of looking at Grimmia laevigata, G. longirostris and Bartramia stricta as well as a diverse array of Targionia hypophylla in an unquarried area. The Grimmia species and three uncommon Riccia. next rockface held a previously unknown patch Generations of bryologists have visited Stanner of B. stricta, and then the group reached the since the 19th century, and recent surveys there famous gully where B. stricta reaches its greatest have relocated all but two of the site’s rare and abundance. Examination of the adjacent parched scarce species. Sam led the group from one slopes, sporting abundant Spiked Speedwell and colony to another, and each species was admired, Sticky Catchfly, revealed several photogenic photographed and discussed; as always on patches of R. nigrella, previously unknown rFig 6. Bryum kunzei was unexpectedly refound on Stanner Rocks. R.L. Hodd. sensitive sites, the BBS were very conservation- colonies of R. subbifurca, S. pruinosum and G. minded and there was no collecting of anything laevigata and, best of all, the first record ofBryum Bryum pallescens Cephalozia pleniceps for under a galvanized crash growing among sphagnum. other than a couple of shoots from previously kunzei* at Stanner for over 100 years, spotted Pseudephemerum nitidum barrier just outside the reserve. Jon Graham, , found in this monad, unknown Grimmia and Schistidium patches by Tom Ottley and Sharon. The visit ended Rory Hodd, Sean O’Leary and Gordon Rothero was – rather amazingly – not seen anywhere else that needed microscope identification. The on the slopes above the quarry, where Grimmia went to the main part of of the reserve, where during the meeting. Elsewhere on the hill, Mark they recorded Colura calyptrifolia on gorse, and found Cladopodiella fluitans. sFig 7. Bartramia stricta on Stanner Rocks. R.L. Hodd. Frullania fragilifolia, Polytrichastrum alpinum The third group, led by Tom Blockeel, started and Rhabdoweisia crispata. Gordon found Porella on the banks of the River Ithon in Dolau Jenkin cordaeana on steep wet crags on Yr Wylorn, well Wood. This was the first locality for Cololejeunea away from any river. Elsewhere, we found it in minutissima, which was found only three six places, but always in or by streams and rivers. times on the meeting. Other records included Mark Lawley led a dozen bryologists back to Loeskeobryum brevirostre and Orthotrichum the River Edw, starting in the charming village of rivulare. Proceeding to Water-break-its-neck, Cregrina. The village and river banks produced they found Gymnostomum aeruginosum and 78 species, including Marchantia polymorpha more Cololejeunea, but the best finds were made subsp. polymorpha, Anomodon viticulosus, by Nick Law, who collected Fissidens rivularis Cirriphyllum crassinervium, Hygroamblystegium and Rhynchostegiella teneriffae near the waterfall. tenax, Orthotrichum rivulare and Scleropodium They then went north through forestry to cespitans. The group then went to Glascwm Hill, Davy Morgan’s Dingle, a sheltered open gully hoping to refindHamatocaulis vernicosus, which with calcareous shale rocks at about 450-530 had been seen in Glasnant by John Port in 1998. m altitude. The rocks produced Conocephalum On the way up Sychcwm, they noted Marsupella salebrosum, Metzgeria conjugata, Plagiochila emarginata var. aquatica (George Tordoff), spinulosa, Campylopus fragilis, Seligeria recurvata Metzgeria conjugata and Jungermannia pumila. and Zygodon rupestris, but the most interesting Sharon refound Hamatocaulis in an extensive find was Tom’s Ulota calvescens* on rowan, here flush, and recorded Plagiomnium elatum and at a substantially higher altitude than its previous Sphagnum contortum nearby. Mark found upper limit of 400 m.

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and Eucladium verticillatum. This was the only gleaming goblin gold in perfection! Diplophyllum site where Syntrichia papillosa was seen; an obtusifolium was present in some quantity by a unexpectedly scarce species in Radnorshire. track at the top of the ridge, and Fissidens bryoides The fourth group went to Pilleth and Whitton var. caespitans with good red rhizoids was seen by on the River Lugg. Both villages had Syntrichia the stream in Cwm Cyncoed. ruralis var. ruraliformis, found new for the vice- Nick Law and Mark Lawley went west to county by Sam on the first day. Brachythecium the uplands, to explore Craig Ddu, northwest mildeanum ‘Car-park Moss’ was seen in its of Rhayader. Bartramia halleriana (as well eponymous habitat. An interesting find was as B. ithyphylla and B. pomiformis) indicated Plagiomnium cuspidatum in close-cropped turf slight base-influence in places, with colonies of of low moorland on nearby Litton Hill. Here, Rhabdoweisia crenulata and R. crispata elsewhere an old bunker had been destroyed, increasing on the crags. After a picnic in the sun they the base status, with the result that P. cuspidatum walked over to the upper part of Pant-y-llyn, extended over several square metres. where a slightly flushed mire yielded another colony of Cephalozia pleniceps, along with Mylia Tuesday 12 April anomala and Polytrichum strictum. The day started with an unpleasant task for rFig 8. Riccia nigrella on Stanner Rocks. B. Stewart. Sharon, to collect Marchantia polymorpha subsp. Conclusion ruderalis* from among the dog turds of central So ended a convivial and busy week. We made decipiens* (which was known but specimen bryologically unknown. Llandrindod. She did so dutifully. 4268 card records of 352 species, which at the wanted as a debracketer) grows alongside G. Another group went to Burfa Bog nature One group stayed close to Llandrindod, hectad scale amounted to 2,125 occurrences lisae, and where Tom Blockeel found a previously reserve, which is also close to the English calling first at Bailey-Einon Wood, a local nature in 14 hectads – an average of 152 per hectad unknown colony of Riccia nigrella growing border. Here they found Epipterygium tozeri, reserve on the banks of the River Ithon. Bryum visited. On the 1965 meeting, visits were made among R. subbifurca. The drizzly weather had Fissidens viridulus and Physcomitrium pyriforme. moravicum and Neckera pumila were found for to other vice-counties, notably Brecknock. In made Grimmia identification rather a challenge, They made a further list in Burfa Bank, but did the first time on the meeting, andCololejeunea Radnorshire they made 1338 card records of but was perfect for recording the Riccia species. not find anything of particular note. After the minutissima was seen again. Cefnllys Castle 300 species, resulting in 996 occurrences in 10 After a successful morning on Stanner Rocks 9 morning drizzle, steady rain set in, and they went produced Dicranella rufescens and Schistostega hectads – an average of 100 species per hectad bryologists walked to Hanter Hill, leaving Tom to New Radnor, a substantial military garrison in pennata; Leucodon sciuroides was found on ash in visited. They found 38 species not recorded by Ottley to search unsuccessfully for Sematophyllum the days of the Marcher Lords, now a village with the cemetery near the river. us, notably Solenostoma caespiticium, Philonotis substrumulosum in Worsell Wood. Increasingly Pseudocrossidium revolutum, which was otherwise The second group went to Abbey Cwmhir, rigida and Bryum riparium. heavy rain and impenetrable gorse hampered only found in Llandrindod. Leucodon sciuroides the ruins of a grandiose medieval church that In the period 1973-1992, Ray Woods made recording, and only the north-western quadrant was found on an enormous ash by the Castle was never completed. Neckera pumila grew on detailed records of the bryophyte flora of the of the hill was examined. Some of the lower Mound. a fairly open sycamore, and the ruins supported county, with contributions by John Port. This outcrops showed hints of base enrichment, A third group went to the River Wye near the calcicoles Porella platyphylla and Cirriphyllum survey was published in 1993 as a component of with Ditrichum gracile and Tortella tortuosa Clyro. They hoped to refindMyrinia pulvinata, crassinervium. They moved to Tyfaenor Park, Ray’s excellent Flora of Radnorshire. Subsequent noted, but most rocks were base-poor and only last seen on the day after the Ross-on-Wye BBS an area of pasture wood with rather even-aged recording, mainly by Mark Lawley, but also 65 taxa were noted before the group gave up. meeting in 1968, but had to content themselves oaks and a small plantation of conifers. John by Ben Averis, Sam Bosanquet and Richard Pete Martin disappeared into the rain, adding with Orthotrichum sprucei. Jon Graham found Norton found Fissidens celticus growing among Lansdown resulted in 3760 hectad records of Bryoerythrophyllum ferruginascens, Racomitrium Epipterygium tozeri and Fossombronia pusilla. Calypogeia arguta by the stream. He announced 481 species in 21 hectads – 179 per hectad. affine and R. heterostichum (obtusum form). They went on to Cwm Byddog nature reserve, that he wanted to see Schistostega. Mary Ghullam So with 152 species per hectad we did only A considerable area of Hanter Hill remains where Mark Lawley found Didymodon spadiceus told him to look in a rabbit hole, and there it was, moderately well. We completely missed

60 FieldBryology No116 | Nov16 FieldBryology No116 | Nov16 61 Meeting Report - BBS Spring Meeting 2016

60 FieldBryology No116 | Nov16 FieldBryology No116 | Nov16 61 MeetingReport

Grimmia workshop Blencathra Centre, Field Studies Council 16-18 September 2016

rFig 9. Schistostega pennata in a rabbit hole, Tyfaenor Park. J. Norton. rFig 1. Sunrise over the Cambrian Mountains from Blencathra Centre. R. Porley. Brachytheciastrum velutinum, Leptodictyum while blanket mires are too acidic. This is their t was 20 years ago, on a stormy weekend, that detection of new populations of hitherto very riparium and Plagiomnium affine, found since subtle but well-defined habitat in the Marches. the BBS held a workshop in Cardiff (Porley rare species (G. unicolor, G. elatior) and new 1993 in at least 12 hectads. Eventually we According to Mark Lawley, both B. kunzeana & Blockeel, 1996), focusing on sectioning distributional data (eg: G. ovalis) including at added 192 hectad records of species, the most and S. paludicola are slightly mysterious. Floras Itechniques and their usefulness in bryophyte least one taxon where climate change has been frequently added being the epiphytes Cryphaea describe B. kunzeana as holding its underleaves taxonomy. During one session Grimmia was implicated (eg: G. tergestina). heteromalla, Orthotrichum striatum, Ulota away from the stem, making them easily visible, considered, and some of the key characters In 1981 the Census Catalogue listed 21 bruchii and Ulota phyllantha, the village plants and with gemmae on the lateral leaves. Yet B. used to separate them were discussed. Looking Grimmia at species rank, in the 1998 CC Bryum radiculosum, Didymodon nicholsonii kunzeana in flushes in the Marches holds its back, it strikes one that our understanding then there were 25 species, and the latest 2008 CC and Pseudocrossidium hornschuchianum, and underleaves closely appressed to the underside of of British & Irish Grimmia was perhaps a little numbered 27 species. The new Atlas (2014) Porella cordaeana (streamsides) and Racomitrium the stem, making them very difficult to discern naïve. This is no reflection on participants of the featured 28 species (G. anomala was added ericoides (tracksides and scree). with a hand-lens. Moreover, none of these plants workshop at the time; indeed the last 20 years in 2012) and during the present workshop 29 In summary, recording in Radnorshire has from flushes sport gemmae. So perhaps we are has brought a revolution in our understanding species are treated. Muñoz & Pando (2000), reached a relatively mature state, where it is currently identifying more than one taxon as ‘B. of the genus. In another 20 years’ time the in their world revision of Grimmia, compiled hard to make a new vice-county record, and kunzeana’. The mystery for Scapania paludicola ‘landscape’ will undoubtedly look quite different 1370 names which corresponded to 792 taxa. only moderately easy to make new hectad is that most British records are Welsh, and that once the molecular era has fully penetrated the Following their analysis, which included studies records. Apart from Stanner Rocks, the Scandinavian bryologists know a different- genus. of type material, they pared the genus down to county’s most distinctive and unusual feature looking plant as S. paludicola. Here again there Since the 1996 Cardiff workshop, the Grimmia 71 species. Interpretations of what constitutes consists of the basic springs that are scattered may be two taxa. trichophylla group has been sorted out (with a good species differ between workers; some over the southern and eastern uplands. These the realisation that we had G. lisae, resulting in are splitters, others are lumpers. Hence Greven support not only Hamatocaulis vernicosus Acknowledgements the sinking of G. retracta, the dumping of G. (2003) recognized 93 species in the world, but also Barbilophozia kunzeana, Cephalozia For help in planning the meeting, I thank Ray Woods, britannica and removal from the British flora of whereas Maier (2010) recognized 51 species. Sam Bosanquet and Mark Lawley; also Jonathan Stone of pleniceps, Scapania paludicola and (not seen on Radnorshire Wildlife Trust. I am grateful to land owners G. austrofunalis), the alpestris-montana-sessitana New species from around the world continue to the meeting) Jamesoniella undulifolia. These are including RWT for permission to visit their land. Sharon group has been more or less clarified in Britain be described. rather diminutive ‘hands and knees’ hepatics Pilkington and Mark Pool digitized record cards. Tom Blockeel, (with the loss of G. ungeri), three new taxa have The present workshop, in the pleasant environs that bryologists may pass by unnoticed if they Sam Bosanquet, Mark Lawley and Sharon Pilkington supplied been added: G. dissimulata, G. muehlenbeckii of the Field Studies Council centre at Blencathra do not get down to closely examine sphagnum text to include in this report. (both resulting from a morphological overhaul in the Lake District (VC 70), was ideally hummocks. Flushes with Campylium stellatum of the trichophylla group) and G. anomala. Not placed in beautiful Grimmia country. It was and Ctenidium molluscum are too base-rich, Mark Hill to mention the re-discovery of so-called ‘extinct’ attended by 13 participants (Fig. 2) including e [email protected] taxa such as G. elatior, G. crinita and G. anodon, the tutor Ron Porley and local organiser

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