Orthothecium intricatum Fine-leaved Leskea

A slender, dark-green, dioicous pleurocarpous moss which usually has red, purple or pinkish shoots with slightly curved leaves that have a long, fine point. It is a strict calcicole which grows in mats on calcium-rich rocks such as limestone but also base-rich sandstones. It favours shaded rock crevices or shelves in humid ravines in the uplands, particularly in sheltered north-facing sites. It is an Arctic-montane species which is scattered in the west and north of Britain with a number of sites in the central uplands of Wales. However, it is rare in south Wales and very rare in West Glamorgan where it is close to its British southern limit on the north facing scarp of Craig y Llyn. Sporophyte capsules are rare.