Spurge-laurel in Ilston Cwm

Spurge-laurel (Daphne laureola), a memeber of the Thymeleaceae, is a small shrub native of woodland on limestone. It has a very restricted distribution in South Wales and Ilston Cwm is a good place to look for it. The flowers are concealed beneath the leaves towards the ends of each shoot.

Also noticeable on the woodland floor were the fruiting bodies of the Scarlet Elf Cup fungus (Sarcoscypha austriaca). For differences between this species and the almost identical Sarcoscypha coccinea see http://wbrc.org.uk/worcRecd/Issue%2018/scarlet_elf_cup.htm