Three Carmarthenshire Didymodons 

Disturbed wet clay with Didymodon tomaculosus

A couple of days on jobs in Carmarthenshire this week. A mundane few square metres of exposed clay by a new hardstanding east of Capel Dewi on close-inspection proved to have hundreds or thousands of shoots of Didymodon tomaculosus, new to the VC and only the fifth Welsh record. It was growing with Aphanorrhegma patens, some juvenile Riccia (subbifurca?) and common species such as Dicranella varia, D. staphylina and Bryum rubens. There's plenty of similar sites with disturbed, wet clay so it must be under-recorded. Yes, it's small (look for Ephemerums and it becomes more noticeable), but it's quite distinctive in its own squat, dark green way.

Didymodon tomaculosus leaves and rhizoidal tubers

The next day I was on the range at Pendine, doing some petalwort survey (is there a more surveyed bryophyte?!). Didymodon acutus (sensu stricto) was in at least two places on disturbed, sandy track edges near the C9 range - a much rarer species than the Petalophyllum and another new species for the county. A greener, slightly papillose specimen from the west end of the test track proved to be Didymodon icmadophilus, new to the site. Weissia angustifolia from compacted sand on a trampled dune path was also new to the site, and a third record for the county. 

Didymodon acutus and location