08 June 2014

Churchyard Frillwort

During a visit to the graveyard of St Teilo's Church in Pontarddulais today, I noticed for the first time a lovely patch of frillwort in fruit. The identification of these beautiful liverworts requires microscopic examination of their spores, which in this instance turned out to be our most widespread species, Common Frillwort Fossombronia pusilla.
spores and elaters from the black capsules
visible in the top photograph