Rhytidiadelphus loreus - © Charles Hipkin
Rhytidiadelphus loreus Little Shaggy-moss
(Hedw.) Warnst.
A large, bushy, dioicous pleurocarpous moss which is found in braodleaved and coniferous woodland and also on heaths and moors in the uplands. It is a characteristic species of upland Sessile-oak woodland where it grows with Dicranum majus, Plagiothecium undulatum and Polytrichum formosum. The iregularly-pinnate, branched shoots have broad, speading leaves that are pleated and distinctly curved. It could be confused with Loeskeobryum brevirostre which sometimes grows with it, but the leaf shape of that species is quite different (see account of that species). Hylocomiastrum triquetrus is similar but larger with pale, chaffy leaves. Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus is smaller with leaves that bend back and spread out to give a starry appearance. It is a Suboceanic species that has a western and northern distribution in Britain and is absent from most of southern and eastern England. It is found throughout Wales where it is an important member of the bryophyte ground flora of upland oak woodlands. Although it was described in Flora of Glamorgan as uncommon in the county, it is now widespread and common in the uplands of Neath Port Talbot where it is a significant component of the ground flora in damp, peaty Sitka Spruce forests. In fact, in West Glamorgan, it is more abundant in that habitat than it is in oak woodland. It is also common on the banks of forest roads and occasionally in moorland. Prior to the extensive conifer afforestation of upland West Glamorgan, much of Neath Port Talbot was covered largely by moorland where Rhytidiadelphus loreus is generally uncommon. Also, at this time, there had been significant losses of oak woodland and it may have been genuinely scarce in the region. However, the maturation of Sitka Spruce forests that has taken place in the last 50 years has provided it with an ideal recombinant habitat for it to colonise and which has facilitated an impressive expansion of its local range. Nevertheless, it remains uncommon in Gower. Sporophyte capsules are very rare.
