Hennediella stanfordensis Stanford Screw-moss

A low-growing, pale-green, acrocarpous moss which forms rather neat rosettes on bare, compacted soils, such as paths and tracks, usually near water. It was first found in Britain in 1958 and it is likely to be an introduction from Australia. The leaf has a characteristic structure which includes a pale border and teeth along the upper margins (see photo). Currently, it has a predominantly eastern distribution  with a significant cluster of records from the west Midlands and the neighbouring Welsh borderlands. It is likely to be expanding its range westwards but it is still rare in most of Wales. A small population was found by CH and Hilary Hipkin on a well trodden path at the side of the River Neath near Glyn Neath in 2018. Most plants in Britain appear to be females and sporophyte capsules are very rare.