Hedwigia ciliata Fringed Hoar-moss

A rare, autoicous, acrocarpous moss which is similar to Hedwigia stellata  and can be distinguished from it only after microscopic examination of the very papillose leaf cells which contain up to 4 papillae per cell in mid leaf (see photo). It occurs as 2 varieties in Britain, var. ciliata which is found on hard acidic rocks and boulders and the very rare var. leucophaea which has been recorded on roof tiles. The Atlas of British and Irish Bryophytes maps 37 recent (1990-2013) hectad for Britain and one for Ireland. It is very rare in Wales. Flora of Glamorgan lists a record of Hedwigia ciliata (sensu lato?) made by Quentin Kay in 1969 of 4 small tufts on a Devonian sandstone boulder on Rhossili Down. This record is not mapped as Hedwigia ciiata (sensu stricta) in the Atlas. A single, reasonably sized colony with sporophytes was found by CH on a Millstone Grit boulder in the upper Pyrddin Valley in 2024 and a small voucher specimen collected was determined by Sharon Pilkington to be Hedwigia ciliata var. ciliata. Sporophyte capsules are frequent.