Pincushion

I spend the late afternoon stumbling around rocks on the ridge above Cwmdale, and trying to get more moss species identifed. It was a successful trip, with another three species confirmed for the list.

The best was this plant on the most exposed rocks, the Common Pinchusion (Dicranoweisia cirrata). This lovely little moss, with thin wavy leaves, was growing in small discrete clumps and it is typical moss of exposed rocks in hilly districts.

Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cirrata)

The other two species for today are those I have seen everywhere in and around Batch Valley, but have now managed to be happy with the identification of. The first is Bank Haircup (Polytrichum formosum), a frequent and widespread species that needs care to separate it from Common Haircup.

Bank Haircup (Polytrichum formosum)

The last species is Common Feather-moss (Kindbergia praelonga), a moss which grows in profusion in my lawn and in other parts of Batch Valley. This is an adundant species found throughout the counttry, with barely a blank square on the NBN map.

Common Feather-moss (Kindbergia praelonga)