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A Bryophyte Red Data List for Wales Rhestr Data Coch Bryoffytauar gyfer Cymru 

A 

Bryophyte 

Red Data List 

for 

Wales 

Sam Bosanquet 

Countryside Council for Wales & 

British Bryological Society 

Trevor Dines 


Rhestr Data Coch 

Bryoffytauar gyfer 

Cymru

A Bryophyte 

Red Data List 

for Wales 

Rhestr Data Coch 

Bryoffytau ar gyfer 

Cymru 

Sam Bosanquet 

Countryside Council for Wales & British 

Bryological Society 

Trevor Dines 


Cite as: Bosanquet, S. and Dines, T. (2011), A Bryophyte Red Data List for Wales, 

Plantlife, Salisbury. 

1

A Bryophyte Red Data List for Wales 

2

Rhestr Data Coch Bryoffytau ar gyfer Cymru 

A Bryophyte 

Red Data List 

for Wales 

Following the publication of A Vascular Plant Red Data List 

for Wales (Dines, 2008), Plant Link Cymru is promoting the 

production of similar Red Data Lists for other groups of 

plants in Wales where possible, especially where this will 

improve our knowledge of the threats facing these species 

and the availability of data. 

This report is the first to assign threat categories to Welsh 

mosses, liverworts and hornworts (bryophytes), and the first to 

use IUCN categories at a regional scale for this taxon group in 

Great Britain. Wales has a particularly rich bryophyte flora, with a 

greater proportion of Britain’s species occurring within its 

borders than is the case for vascular plants, and a far greater 

number reaching the limits of their range within the country. 

Some bryophytes have been found to be more threatened in 

Wales than in Britain as a whole, whilst others appear to be 

holding their own more effectively in Wales than in England or 

Scotland. Wales has a responsibility to protect and conserve all of 

these threatened species, and the list of bryophytes that appear 

on the next revision of Section 42 of the Natural Environmental 

and Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006 (Habitats and species 

of principal importance in Wales) should be informed by the 

findings of this study. 

This report has been produced by Plantlife Cymru with the 

support of the Countryside Council for Wales and the British 

Bryological Society. 

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Contents 


1 Introduction 6 

2 Implementation of this Red Data List 7 

3 Coverage 8 

3.1 Taxonomic coverage 8 

3.2 Alien status 8 

3.3 Geographic coverage 9 

4 Data sources 10 

5 Application of IUCN criteria 11 

5.1 IUCN categories at the regional level 11 

5.2 Treating Wales as a region 12 

5.3 IUCN categories in Wales 13 

5.4 Limitations of the analysis 14 

6 Explanation of the Wales Red Data List 15 

6.1 Species information 15 

6.2 National responsibility and edge of range 15 

6.3 Wales Red Data List categories, criteria and justification 16 

7 Analysis 17 

7.1 Comparison of Welsh and British Red Data Lists 17 

7.2 Taxa extinct in Wales 19 

7.3 Taxa “doing better” in Wales 20 

7.4 Taxa “doing worse” in Wales 21 

7.5 Taxa reaching the edge of their range in Wales 23 

7.6 Species for which Wales has a particular responsibility 26 

8 Bryophyte Red Data List for Wales 28 

9 Excluded taxa 49 

10 Acknowledgements 50 

11 References 51 

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1. Introduction 

Wales supports almost three quarters of all British bryophyte species with 811 of the 1110 

listed in the latest Census Catalogue (Hill et al., 2008), or 73% – a remarkably high 

proportion compared with the 54% of British vascular plants found in Wales. Bryophytes 

range from the lowland mosses of the Wye Valley woodlands and Gower coast to montane 

species of Snowdonia’s cliffs, and from the tiny liverworts of raised bogs in west Wales, to 

the drought-tolerant rarities of Stanner Rocks in Radnorshire. This flora has been studied 

for more than 150 years and documented in a series of papers and books (e.g. Smith, 

2004; Hill, 1988; Bosanquet et al., 2005; Woods, 2006). 

Habitat loss and environmental changes have put much of our biodiversity under threat, 

and bryophytes are no exception. Some of our rarest species are found in arable fields, 

exposed to constantly changing farming practices, whilst others are at the southern edge 

of their British range in the mountains of Snowdonia and are vulnerable to climate 

change. Yet mosses and liverworts are generally overshadowed by their larger and more 

glamorous flowering relatives, or by flagship species like birds and butterflies. It is Wales’ 

responsibility to protect not just our most obvious species, but also the more subtle 

rarities. With such a large proportion of British bryophytes found in Wales, we also have a 

special responsibility to care for them. 

The Vascular Plant Red Data List for Wales (Dines, 2008) applied IUCN criteria (version 3.1) 

to Welsh vascular plants in order to identify Wales’ most threatened species. This study 

applies the same criteria to our bryophytes. By using these scientifically robust criteria, 

modified where necessary to take into account differences in levels of recording, we can 

select a list of priority species that are threatened with extinction at a regional level. Many 

of these are at the southern or northern limit of their British range in Wales, so loss from 

Wales would mean a significant reduction in British range. Already, some 26 bryophytes 

are thought to have been lost from Wales since the early 20th century, more than half of 

which are northern species that previously had their southern British limit in Wales. 

This report has been produced by Plantlife Cymru and the Countryside Council for Wales 

with assistance from several Welsh bryologists and from the Biological Records Centre, 

Wallingford.

2. Implementation of 

this Red Data List 

One aim of this report is to assess the risk of extinction facing bryophytes in Wales so 

that the current conservation priority list - Section 42 of the Natural Environmental and 

Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006, Habitats and species of principal importance in 

Wales – which was based on 2005 British threat levels (Hodgetts, unpublished, on 

www.jncc.gov.uk, updating Church et al., 2001), can be modified to take into account 

species that are threatened in Wales. However, Wales is a political, not biogeographic, area 

and this list should not be used in isolation without reference to Hodgetts’ revised British 

Bryophyte Red List (Hodgetts, 2011). Because two threat lists now exist for Welsh 

bryophytes, some guidance is needed on how these lists should be used, especially given 

that some taxa have different threat levels in Wales and the whole of Britain. 

Any taxon that is threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable) or Near 

Threatened in Great Britain (Hodgetts, 2011) should also be regarded as a priority for 

conservation in Wales, regardless of its threat status in Wales. The bryophytes currently 

listed under Section 42 are based on the GB Red Data List and this remains legally 

binding. The categories of threat given by Hodgetts are based on an assessment of 

national distribution and decline, and apply throughout the current range of each taxon 

in Great Britain. 

If a taxon is less threatened in Wales than it is in Great Britain (i.e., it has a lower category 

of threat than it has in Great Britain as a whole or is even classified as Least Concern in 

Wales), the Welsh population must still be regarded as a critically important component 

of the GB population and deserves full protection in Wales with appropriate conservation 

measures. This is because it represents a part of the whole GB population that has more 

chance of surviving and recovering than the GB population as a whole. Should the GB 

population outside Wales continue to decline, the Welsh population will become 

increasingly important, again regardless of its status within Wales. Should the Welsh 

population begin to decline, or decline more rapidly than before, the species will be 

regarded as even more threatened in GB as a whole. 

Taxa that are more threatened in Wales than they are in Great Britain should naturally be 

considered as priorities for conservation within Wales. The results of this Red Data List 

should inform the list of bryophytes that appear on the next revision of Section 42 of the 

Natural Environmental and Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006 (Habitats and species of 

principal importance in Wales). 

The most pressing issue for bryophyte conservation is that many of the taxa listed here 

have not been looked for since the 1970s and it is perfectly possible that colonies have 

been lost without anyone realising. Accurate documentation of the location and size of 

remaining populations of Wales’ rarest bryophytes is urgently needed. 


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3. Coverage 

3.1 Taxonomic coverage 

All of the mosses, liverworts and hornworts recorded in Wales have been assessed for this 

Red Data List. This amounts to 848 taxa according to the latest Census Catalogue (Hill et 

al., 2008) with two species, Daltonia splachnoides and Schistidium helveticum, added 

subsequently. These 850 taxa comprise: 587 moss species with 31 additional varieties 

and 1 additional subspecies; 221 liverwort species with 4 additional varieties and 2 

additional subspecies; and 4 hornwort species. A further 22 varieties and one species 

(Fossombronia husnotii) which were listed in the previous Census Catalogue (Blockeel & 

Long, 1998) were originally assessed, but many of these have been so poorly recorded in 

recent decades that it was impossible to determine whether they have declined or merely 

been ignored recently. Despite this, bryologists tend to take infraspecific taxa very 

seriously – perhaps more so than vascular plant botanists – and many subspecies and 

varieties are recorded with as much rigour as species. Some varieties appear to be almost 

distinctive enough to be species anyway, but are known to intergrade either in Britain or 

elsewhere in their range. All taxa have therefore been assessed, although some of the less 

well-known varieties have been placed on the Waiting List or the Data Deficient list. 

The Schistidium apocarpum aggregate was subdivided by Blom (1996) and is something 

of a bryological equivalent of the vascular genus Euphrasia (Eyebrights), but thankfully 

without the hybridisation. Its members have not been evenly recorded in Wales and the 

status of most remains uncertain. Three that are thought to be particularly uncommon, 

judging by recent records, are assigned a threat status although S. trichodon was 

downgraded from Regionally Extinct to Critically Endangered because its apparent loss 

may not be genuine. Six others are on the Waiting List or Data Deficient list because they 

are so poorly known. No other bryophyte genus is as taxonomically problematic. 

Hybrids are much less of an issue in bryophytes than in vascular plants because the 

hybrid generation is the sporophyte, which is never produced in isolation from the 

photosynthesising gametophyte generation. The only hybrid sporophytes confirmed from 

Wales are Weissia brachycarpa x longifolia, although Aphanorhegma patens x 

Physcomitrium sphaericum has been found just across the border in Cheshire and could 

occur at the latter’s two Welsh sites. Hybrid sporophytes are not thought to be of 

conservation concern at present.

3.2 Alien status 

Only six Welsh bryophyte species were considered to be of recent introduced origin by Hill 

et al. (2007) (i.e. they are neophytes, meaning they were introduced after 1500AD): 

Atrichum crispum, Campylopus introflexus, Didymodon umbrosus, Hennediella 

stanfordensis, Lophocolea semiteres and Orthodontium lineare. The Didymodon and 

Lophocolea are rare in Wales but have not been assigned to a threat category because of 

their non-native status. It is possible that other Welsh bryophytes are archaeophytes 

(introduced before 1500AD), especially some arable taxa and metalophytes (species of 

substrates rich in heavy metals, such as some mine spoil). Hill et al. considered 

Anthoceros agrestis, Bryum ruderale, Bryum violaceum, Cephaloziella massalongi*, 

Cephaloziella nicholsonii*, Dicranella staphylina, Didymodon tomaculosus*, Ditrichum 

plumbicola, Phaeoceros carolinianus*, Scopelophila cataractae*, Targionia hypophylla 

and Weissia squarrosa* to be possible archaeophytes, but the lack of proof means that all 

have been included in the Red Data List analysis and several of them (marked *) have 

been assigned a threat category. 

3.3 Geographic coverage 

This Red Data List covers the country of Wales, including the 13 vice-counties of 

Monmouthshire (vice-county number 35), Glamorgan (41), Brecknockshire (42), 

Radnorshire (43), Carmarthenshire (44), Pembrokeshire (45), Cardiganshire (46), 

Montgomeryshire (47), Merionethshire (48), Caernarvonshire (49), Denbighshire (50), 

Flintshire (51) and Anglesey (52). 

In the absence of more detailed tetrad recording, decline statistics were based on data for 

Welsh hectad (10 km square of the Ordnance Survey grid) records from the British 

Bryological Society database held by the Biological Records Centre. Almost all these 

records are correctly attributed to a vice-county, but a few records from the Welsh border 

result from hectad record cards put together for the bryophyte Atlas (Hill et al., 1991- 

1994) and could come from England (R.G. Woods, pers. comm.). The western distribution 

of most of Wales’ threatened bryophytes means that this is unlikely to be much of an 

issue when assessing declines. 


9


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4. Data sources 

The British Bryological Society (BBS) database is maintained by the Biological Records 

Centre (BRC) at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford. Almost all records in the 

database were assigned to a hectad (10 km square of the Ordnance Survey grid) for 

production of the bryophyte Atlas (Hill et al., 1991-94), and the majority are assigned to a 

vice-county (see section 3.3 for a caveat about border hectads). In 2010, Chris Preston at 

BRC generated hectad counts for all Welsh bryophytes using two date classes: all records 

and post-1970 records. The difference between these counts was used to inform IUCN threat 

criterion A, which for the purpose of this study looks exclusively at levels of decline in 

distribution or Area of Occupancy (AOO). The only alteration to these figures resulted from 

some contract surveys of north Wales sites that resulted in post-2000 records of various 

important species, which had not reached the BBS database. The 1970 cut-off was used in 

light of the paucity of recent north Wales recording: if 1980 were used, as in Hodgetts (2011) 

then apparent declines due to the lack of data would be even more of a problem. 

Other IUCN criteria (B, C and D) examine the current number of sites, populations or 

individuals in the area being considered. Criteria B and C also require evidence of any 

ongoing decline, or fragmented or restricted locations or extreme fluctuations. For these 

criteria, detailed information from the Threatened Bryophytes Database (Hodgetts, 2003) 

was used, along with vice-county Floras and registers. These are vice-counties: 35 

(Bosanquet, 2003); 41 (Perry, 1994); 42 (Woods, 2006); 43 (Woods, 1993); 44 (Bosanquet et 

al., 2005); 45 (Bosanquet, 2010); 46 (Hale, 1998); 47-52 (Hill, 1988). All have been 

supplemented by more recent recording, especially by the BBS (46 & 50), P.M. Benoit (48), 

T.H. Blackstock (north Wales), S.D.S. Bosanquet (south Wales), M. Lawley (42, 43 & 47), G.S. 

Motley (35 & 42), M.E. Newton (48), J.D. Sleath (42) and M.J.M. Yeo (north Wales). In 

general there is little data on population sizes, either in terms of number of individuals or 

extent, so criteria C and D were seldom applicable.

5. Application of 

IUCN criteria 

5.1 IUCN categories at the regional level 

The standard IUCN Red Data List Categories (IUCN, 2001) are used with the following 

modifications to take into account the regional nature of this analysis: 

1. Taxa extinct within the region but extant in other parts of Great Britain are classified 

as Regionally Extinct (RE). A taxon is RE when there is no reasonable doubt that the 

last individual in the region has died. In this report, taxa extinct in Great Britain as a 

whole are classified as EX, while those extinct in Wales but still present elsewhere in 

Great Britain are classified as RE. The list of extinctions for Wales therefore includes 

both EX and RE taxa. 

2. Taxa that are (or have been) present in Wales but are not eligible for assessment at the 

regional level are assigned the category Not Assessed (NA) and are listed in section 9. 

These are mainly taxa that are no longer considered valid in the latest Census 

Catalogue (Hill et al., 2008), but also includes the neophytes mentioned in 3.2. 


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5.2 Treating Wales as a region 

Considerable guidance is given by IUCN (2003) regarding the application of standard 

IUCN criteria and categories (IUCN, 2001) to a region (defined as any subglobal 

geographically defined area, such as a continent, country, state, or province). Provided 

that the regional population being assessed is isolated from conspecific populations 

outside the region, the IUCN Red Data List Criteria (IUCN, 2001) can be used without 

modification within any geographically defined area. 

However, when the criteria are applied to part of a population defined by a geopolitical 

border, as in the case of Wales sharing a border with England, the threshold values listed 

under each criterion may be inappropriate because the unit being assessed is not the 

same as the whole population or subpopulation. As a result, the estimate of extinction 

risk may be inaccurate. 

In order to address this, the Vascular Plant Red Data List for Wales (Dines, 2008) 

considered whether the Welsh population of vascular plant taxa experiences any 

significant immigration of viable propagules from England. Any taxa that were found to 

experience significant propagule immigration and not to be threatened in Great Britain as 

a whole were downgraded by one threat category. 

The ecology and population dynamics of most threatened bryophytes in Wales are simply 

too poorly known to allow this approach to be adopted for the current Red Data List. Some 

taxa are obviously poor dispersers - for example Isopterygiopsis muelleriana and Radula 

voluta have never been recorded with sporophytes in the British Isles and do not produce 

asexual propagules. Others, such as Encalypta alpina and E. rhaptocarpa, fruit profusely 

in parts of Britain but have not recolonised Snowdonia since their loss in the early 20 th 

century, so the regular production of sporophytes is no guide to colonisation ability or 

dynamism. Yet others have asexual propagules, but these are probably seldom 

transported over great distances. Bryophytes certainly can be highly dynamic, as typified 

by the epiphytic mosses and liverworts that are rapidly expanding eastwards into eastern 

England, but the only one of these obviously dynamic epiphytes that appears on the Red 

Data List is Ulota calvescens (which might be a casual colonist from Ireland but is 

thought to have genuinely declined in north Wales); no Orthotrichum have been included.

5.3 IUCN categories in Wales 

As well as the modifications given in section 5.1 above, IUCN criteria were adapted and 

modified to produce the GB Red Data List (Cheffings & Farrell, 2005), and these same 

criteria have been used to produce this Red Data List. This means that the same thresholds 

used to determine categories in the GB Red Data List have been used for Wales, and the 

lists are therefore directly comparable. Because of this, a detailed treatment of how each 

criterion was applied is not reproduced here, but readers are referred to the GB Red Data 

List for bryophytes (Church et al., 2001) for further information. Table 1, however, gives a 

brief summary of the categories and criteria used here. 


Threat Category Criterion Thresholds 

EX 

Extinct 

Extinct in Great Britain (but was present in Wales) 

RE 

Regionally extinct 

Extinct in Wales but still present elsewhere in Great Britain 

EW 

Extinct in the wild 

Extinct in Great Britain (but was present in Wales) but is still present in cultivation 

CR A AOO trend or hectad trend > 80% decline 

Critically Endangered B 1 location + continuing decline 

C 50% decline 

Endangered B 5 locations + continuing decline 

C < 2500 individuals + continuing decline 

D < 250 individuals 

VU A AOO trend or hectad trend > 30% decline 

Vulnerable B 10 locations + continuing decline 

C < 10000 individuals + continuing decline 

D1 < 1000 individuals 

D2 < 5 locations 

NT A AOO trend or hectad trend > 20% decline 

Near Threatened* B 30 locations + continuing decline 

D < 10000 individuals 

LC 

Least concern 

Evaluated against criteria and does not qualify for threatened or Near Threatened. 

DD 

Data deficient 

Threat suspected but there is insufficient data for analysis 

WL Inadequate data, taxonomic uncertainties or uncertainties over native or 

Waiting list** 

(not an IUCN category – see below) 

archaeophyte status means no assessment can be made. 

Table 1. IUCN Categories and criteria as adapted for use in Great Britain by Cheffings & Farrell 

(2005) and Wales (Dines, 2008). In essence, criterion A looks at decline in hectads or Area of 

Occupancy (AOO), criterion B deals with declining taxa that occur in a small number of sites, 

criterion C also deals with declining taxa but those that have a small number of individuals, and 

criterion D looks at those taxa in a small number of sites or with few individuals that are not 

necessarily declining. A taxon may qualify as threatened or near threatened on one or more criteria. 

* No standard IUCN criteria exist for the Near Threatened category; those used were developed 

by Cheffings and Farrell (2005) for the GB Red Data List. 

** The term Waiting List is not an IUCN category but one adopted for use by Cheffings & Farrell 

(2005) to deal with the taxa described. 

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5.4 Limitations of the analysis 

While considerable efforts have been made to compile and use the best available data 

for this analysis, two factors are effective in compromising the application of IUCN 

criteria in Wales. 

For Criterion A the GB Red Data List (Hodgetts, 2011) used data from nearly 3000 hectads 

(10 km squares) for the analysis of Area of Occupancy (AOO) and hectad decline. This 

number of hectads allowed a fairly robust analysis, as each unit represents 0.035% of the 

total area under consideration. In Wales, however, the same scale of data has been used, 

with 285 hectads being included in the analysis. Each unit therefore represents 0.35% of 

the area. This makes the analysis much more sensitive and less reliable. As a result, more 

caution has been applied and the A criterion has only been used with species that have 

been recorded from more than 10 hectads. It is hoped that, with more tetrad (2km square) 

data becoming available, criterion A can be applied at this scale in the future, although 

considerably more work is needed in mid and north Wales to make this practical. 

A further difficulty, which is more of an issue with bryophytes than vascular plants, is the 

low number of active recorders in Wales. Wales is fortunate to be home to three or four of 

Britain’s top bryologists, but it is impossible for them and the small number of other 

British Bryological Society (BBS) members to record across the whole country. At the 

time of the Atlas (Hill et al, 1991-94), north Wales was the epicentre of British bryology 

and was extremely well-recorded, whilst most of south Wales was almost unknown. 

Subsequently there has been an upsurge in south Wales, but general recording in the 

north has been almost non-existent since the Flora by Hill (1988) was published (Preston 

et al., 2009). Contract surveys of a number of key sites in the north have been carried out 

since 2000, but data flow issues mean that much data from these is not yet on the NBN 

Gateway. This imbalance in recording effort means that it is very difficult to assess 

declines because many north Wales rarities were found in the 1960s and have not been 

noted (or looked for) since. Some taxa that appear to have declined are probably just 

under-recorded, especially moderately rare species such as Hypnum callichroum and 

Radula aquilegia, which are just about common enough not to warrant a specific dated 

record but rare enough to be restricted to a limited number of sites. These species may 

genuinely have declined, but it is unlikely that they have experienced the >50% decline 

suggested by the current data. They have therefore been dropped by one threat level and 

flagged with a hyphen ‘-’ next to the threat category in the tables.

6. Explanation of the 

Wales Red Data List 

The columns that appear in the Bryophyte Red Data List for Wales (Section 8) are 

described below. 

6.1 Species information 

Taxonomy of the Wales Red Data List (as given in the Taxon column) follows that of the 

latest Census Catalogue (Hill et al., 2008). Whether the taxon is a moss (M), liverwort (L) or 

hornwort (H) is indicated in the MLH column. 

The threat category of the species in Great Britain is given in the GB Red List column, 

and follows Hodgetts (unpublished). The current list of bryophytes on Section 42 of the 

Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006 (Habitats and species of 

principal importance in Wales) is given in the Section 42 Wales column. European Red 

Data Book species (ECCB, 1995) are shown in the Europe Red List column. 

The native or alien status of each taxon in Britain (and therefore Wales) is given in the 

Native/alien status column, following Hill et al. (2007). Almost all taxa are considered to 

be natives except for a few possible archaeophytes (see section 3.2). Neophytes have 

been excluded and are listed in Section 9. 

6.2 National responsibility and edge of range 

An assessment has been made of what proportion of the British distribution of each taxon 

is found within Wales. This has been done using the number of hectads for which there are 

modern records in the BBS database (see Hill et al., 2007) compared with the count for 

Wales made by the Biological Records Centre (BRC). Although crude, this does provide an 

indication of how much of the GB resource is located within Wales. For taxa with more than 

25% of the GB distribution in Wales (and for which Wales has a national responsibility) the 

percentage is given in the Prop (%) of GB population column (see section 7.6). 

Taxa that reach the edge of their British range in Wales are identified in the Edge of GB 

range? column. The edge of range in question is indicated by “N”, “S”, “E” and “W”, where 

“S” indicates that the taxon reaches its southern limit in Wales. Notes indicate the county 

in which this edge lies, and where necessary gives information on outlying colonies when 

the edge is almost reached in Wales (e.g. Adelanthus decipiens with single outliers in 

Devon and Cornwall but the southern edge of its core range in Cardiganshire). Disjunctions 

from Scotland are indicated in the Disjunct from Scotland? column because taxa that 

‘skip’ northern England and are (or were until they were lost from Wales) found only in the 

mountains of Scotland and Wales are believed to be more vulnerable to climate change 

than those also found in the lower mountains of the Lake District and the north Pennines. 


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6.3 Wales Red Data List categories, criteria 

and justification 

The IUCN category (as defined in section 5.3 above) for Wales is given in the Wales Red List 

column (note that blanks indicate an assessment of Least Concern). The criterion/criteria 

under which each threatened taxon qualifies is/are given in the Criteria column. 

The number of extant hectads (with a post-1970 record) is given in the Wales extant 

(post-1970) column and can be compared with the Wales hectads (all records) column. 

The former is equivalent to the locations column in Dines (2008): hectads were used in 

place of locations because that was the case for the GB Red Data List (Hodgetts, 2011). The 

number of locations of rare bryophytes is seldom precisely known – especially because 

many old records have vague location details amounting to little more than a nearby 

village or a whole mountain – and is often equivalent to hectads anyway. In some cases, 

declines appear smaller with hectad counts than location counts, especially in Snowdonia 

where Hill (1988) reports losses from two or three localities within a range spanning one or 

two hectads, and this was taken into account when decline criteria were assessed. 

The number of individuals of any one species has not been included in the Red List table, 

although Fossombronia fimbriata was included in the Critically Endangered category on 

the basis of its known tiny population (50% decline in hectad occupancy between all records and post-1970 records 

(see Section 4). It is assumed that past declines are unlikely to have slowed much given 

the continuing loss of habitat in Wales coupled with climate change and site dereliction, 

but in the small number of cases where the only populations are known to be holding 

their own (for example Bartramia stricta at its sole GB site), past declines have been 

ignored and Criterion B has not been met (in most such cases the species meet Criterion 

D2 of the Vulnerable category).

7. Analysis 

7.1 Comparison of Welsh and British 

Red Data Lists 

When drawing comparisons between taxa on the Welsh and GB Red Data Lists it is 

important to remember that identical criteria were used in their selection. Obviously, a 

much smaller area was under consideration (Wales being only 10% of the size of Great 

Britain) so it is not surprising that the proportion of taxa in each threat category in each 

area is so dissimilar in some cases (Table 2 and Figures 1 & 2). 

Great Britain Wales 

No. of taxa % of total No. of taxa % of total 

Extinct (EX+RE) 25 2 26 3 

Critically Endangered (CR) 16 1 18 2 

Endangered (EN) 40 4 64 8 

Vulnerable (VU) 87 8 64 8 

Near Threatened (NT) 78 7 12 1 

Data Deficient (DD) 19 2 15 2 

Least Concern (LC) 845 76 651 77 

Total 1110 850 

Table 2. Number and proportion of taxa in each Red Data List category in Great Britain and 

Wales. Taxa on the Waiting List are excluded. 

Figure 1. The proportion of taxa in each IUCN category in Great Britain 

(following Hodgetts, 2011). 


Extinct (EX) 

Critically Endangered (CR) 

Endangered (EN) 

Vulnerable (VU) 

Near Threatened (NT) 

Data Deficient (DD) 

Least Concern (LC) 

17


18 

Extinct (EX) 

Critically Endangered (CR) 

Endangered (EN) 

Vulnerable (VU) 

Near Threatened (NT) 

Data Deficient (DD) 

Least Concern (LC) 

Figure 2. The proportion of taxa in each IUCN category in Wales (Extinct includes both EX 

and RE taxa). 

Although the overall proportion of Threatened to Least Concern taxa is the same in Wales 

and Great Britain, the proportion within each category is quite strikingly different. Wales 

has a higher proportion of Extinct (EX & RE) taxa than Great Britain, many of which are 

boreal taxa lost from Snowdonia since the early 20 th century but still persisting in Scotland 

(see section 7.2). This is to be expected. Less expected was the relatively high proportion of 

Endangered taxa. These mostly qualify under criterion B (50% decline), and many (41%) are boreal or montane species 

that are believed to be vulnerable to climate change. In a few cases the apparent decline 

may be because of the paucity of very recent data from north Wales (see 5.4), but each 

taxon retained in EN rather than demoted to VU is montane and therefore at particular risk. 

Countering the high number of Endangered taxa is a low number in the Near Threatened 

category. This was used very cautiously in Wales because historic data are not sufficient to 

detect the >20% decline (criterion A) as opposed to a lack of recent recording, and criterion 

D (

7.2 Taxa extinct in Wales 

The higher proportion of extinct taxa (EX+RE) in Wales than in Great Britain (3.1% as opposed 

to 1.6% for GB, see Table 2) is to be expected. There will always be a higher rate of extinction 

at the local site level long before extinctions become apparent from larger areas. In a few 

cases, taxa that appear to be heading for GB-wide extinction have been targeted by special 

projects, for example Bryum schleicheri (Rothero et al., 2006), but this was not the case for 

any of the species in Table 3, most of which were lost from Wales long before active 

conservation began. The only taxa that have received active help in Wales have been 

conserved because of GB-wide threat rather than potential loss from Wales. 

GB Taxon Wales Year last Vice-county Welsh 

Red Red recorded last recorded habitat 

List List 

DD Andreaea alpestris EX 1879 Caerns Montane 

CR Atrichum angustatum RE 1926 Carms Upland stream 

RE Bryum turbinatum EX 1904 Meirionydd Dunes & river shingle 

RE Bryum uliginosum EX 1904 Meirionydd Dunes 

Cinclidium stygium RE 1939 Meirionydd Upland fen 

Conostomum tetragonum RE 1919 Caerns Montane 

VU Dialytrichia saxicola RE 1927 Meirionydd Damp rock 

Diplophyllum taxifolium RE 1844 Caerns Montane 

Encalypta alpina RE 1931 Caerns Montane 

Encalypta rhaptocarpa RE 1880 Caerns Montane 

VU Fissidens serrulatus RE 1968 Meirionydd Sea cave 

NT Gymnomitrion corallioides RE 1912 Caerns Montane 

Lophozia longidens RE 1966 Meirionydd Atlantic woodland 

Myurella julacea RE 1912 Caerns Montane 

VU Orthodontium gracile RE 1924 Denb/Flint Woodland 

RE Philonotis cernua EX 1939 Meirionydd Montane 

Philonotis seriata RE 1960s Caerns Montane 

Pseudoleskeella catenulata RE 1960s Caerns Montane 

Pterigynandrum filiforme RE 1928 Caerns Montane 

Pterygoneurum ovatum RE 1830 Denbs/ 

Anglesey Limestone soil 

Rhynchostegiella curviseta RE 1925 Mons Abbey wall 

Scapania nimbosa RE 1909 Caerns Montane 

Solenostoma confertissimum RE 1965 Carms Limestone quarries 

Sphagnum strictum RE 1960s Merionydd Blanket bog 

Tetraplodon angustatus RE 1899 Caerns Montane 

Ulota coarctata RE 1914 Merionydd Atlantic woodland 

Table 3. The 26 taxa that have become extinct in Wales, along with the vice-county and 

year of the last record, and their Red Data List status in Great Britain and Wales. The four 

Extinct (EX) taxa have been lost from Britain; Regionally Extinct (RE) taxa remain extant 

elsewhere in Britain. 


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20 

It is difficult to be sure precisely when the mosses and liverworts in Table 3 became 

extinct in Wales because many were based on single collections from sites that have only 

been visited by competent bryologists on a small number of occasions. Indeed it is 

possible that some of the montane species may persist on some remote rock outcrops in 

Snowdonia. Five taxa were only recorded in the 19 th century, whilst 15 last records date 

from the golden age of Welsh bryology between 1900 and 1930 when the outstanding 

D.A. Jones was collecting in north Wales (Hill, 1988) and there were numerous visitors. The 

remaining six date from the 1960s, the start of another period when north Wales was the 

epicentre of British bryology. The site for Fissidens serrulatus was revisited in 2009 and no 

sign of the Fissidens was seen, whilst Solenostoma confertissimum has not been 

relocated during several recent visits. The remaining four taxa technically qualify as 

Extinct because the last record was made before 1970, but it is possible that none of them 

has been sought subsequently and it is perhaps premature to accept their loss. 

7.3 Taxa “doing better” in Wales 

Because identical IUCN threat criteria have been used to identify threatened taxa in both 

Great Britain and Wales, we can compare the two floras directly to see how various taxa 

are faring. Some are “doing better” in Wales (in other words they are less threatened in 

Wales than they are in Great Britain), whilst others are “doing worse” (they are more 

threatened in Wales than Great Britain). 

As one would expect when comparing a smaller area with a larger one, there are only a 

few taxa that are “doing better” in Wales (Table 4). 

Taxon GB Red Wales Red 

List List 

Bartramia stricta CR EN 

Southbya tophacea VU LC 

Tomentypnum nitens VU NT 

Amblystegium radicale NT LC 

Bryum kunzei NT LC 

Entosthodon pulchellus NT LC 

Fissidens monguillonii NT LC 

Grimmia atrata NT LC 

Myrinia pulvinata NT LC 

Phaeoceros carolinianus NT LC 

Rhytidiadelphus subpinnatus NT LC 

Table 4.The 11 taxa that are “doing better” in Wales compared with Great Britain, 

arranged by decreasing GB threat category. Taxa are included if they are Threatened (CR, 

EN, VU) or Near Threatened (NT) in GB, but have a lower threat category or are Least 

Concern (LC) in Wales.

That only 11 of the 71 GB Red List bryophytes recorded in Wales are “doing better” here is 

a worry. 13 were assigned the same threat level, albeit not necessarily using the same 

criteria, 34 are “doing worse” (see 7.4), 8 are Regionally Extinct (see 7.2) and 5 are Data 

Deficient. Most of the species on the “doing better” list remain at a reasonable number of 

Welsh sites and have been discovered at new localities in recent years. This does not 

necessarily mean that they have not declined overall, nor that they are not potentially 

threatened, but there is no evidence of declines in Rhytidiadelphus subpinnatus, 

Entosthodon pulchellus, Southbya tophacea, Fissidens monguillonii or Phaeoceros 

carolinianus and only questionable losses of colonies of Myrinia pulvinata in an area that 

has not been well surveyed. Bartramia stricta is stable at its only extant British site, 

whilst the dramatic decline in Tomentypnum nitens in southern Britain is slightly masked 

by the relatively small number of historic sites in Wales: it is declining here as well. 

7.4 Taxa “doing worse” in Wales 

The taxa that are more threatened in Wales than they are in Great Britain are listed in 

Table 5. Many taxa are more threatened in Wales than GB as a whole because of small 

Welsh ranges, despite caution over applying criteria B and D when declines are 

questionable. A significant number of species are considered Least Concern in Great 

Britain but are restricted to a very small number of Welsh sites and therefore qualify 

under criterion D. For example, Dicranodontium asperulum is at the southern edge of its 

British range at a single site in Snowdonia, Scapania calcicola has only been recorded 

south of Scotland at a single site in the Brecon Beacons, and the southern Ricciocarpos 

natans only crosses the border from England in a couple of places. Others have declined 

more rapidly in Wales than in Britain as a whole, with Antitrichia curtipendula, Bazzania 

tricrenata and perhaps Calypogeia azurea retreating northwards, Leptodon smithii 

retreating southwards, and Dicranella cerviculata almost lost from south Wales. 

In some cases, taxa are “doing worse” in Wales because of different criteria. Fossombronia 

fimbriata is Near Threatened in Britain because of the paucity of recent records, whereas 

all Welsh records are modern so there is no evidence of a decline but the population is 

fewer than 50 individuals (CR criterion D). 

Perhaps of most interest are the 20 species that are “doing worse” because the declines 

that were sufficient for Red List status in Great Britain are even more severe in Wales. The 

dune moss Bryum calophyllum has been lost from five of its six Welsh sites, Cephaloziella 

nicholsonii has declined somewhat in southern Britain but is almost lost from Wales, and 

Dicranum undulatum has declined slightly on British bogs but is now restricted to a 

single Welsh site. 


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22 


List List 

Micromitrium tenerum EN CR 

Bryum calophyllum VU CR 

Bryum knowltonii VU CR 

Cephaloziella massalongi VU CR 

Schistidium flaccidum VU CR 

Seligeria brevifolia VU CR 

Anomodon longifolius VU EN 

Bryum marratii VU EN 

Cephaloziella nicholsonii VU EN 

Dicranum undulatum VU EN 

Gymnocolea acutiloba VU EN 

Riccia canaliculata VU EN 

Scopelophila cataractae VU EN 

Solenostoma caespiticium VU EN 

Tortula wilsonii VU EN 

Philonotis tomentella NT CR 

Bryum muehlenbeckii NT EN 

Weissia squarrosa NT VU 

Weissia sterilis NT VU 

Aloina rigida LC CR 

Dicranodontium asperulum LC CR 

Fossombronia fimbriata LC CR 

Grimmia alpestris LC CR 

Leiocolea fitzgeraldiae LC CR 

Meesia uliginosa LC CR 

Pohlia wahlenbergii var. glacialis LC CR 

Scapania calcicola LC CR 

Schistidium trichodon LC CR- 

Abietinella abietina var. abietina LC EN 

Amblyodon dealbatus LC EN 

Anthelia juratzkana LC EN 

Antitrichia curtipendula LC EN 

Bryum mildeanum LC EN 

Bryum weigelii LC EN 

Buxbaumia aphylla LC EN 

Campylostelium saxicola LC EN 

Cephalozia leucantha LC EN 

Cephalozia macrostachya 

var. macrostachya LC EN 

Cephaloziella spinigera LC EN 

Cladopodiella francisci LC EN 

Cynodontium polycarpon LC EN 

Dicranella crispa LC EN 

Dicranoweisia crispula LC EN 

Drepanocladus sendtneri LC EN 

Frullania microphylla 

var. deciduifolia LC EN 

Glyphomitrium daviesii LC EN 

Grimmia montana LC EN 

Hypnum imponens LC EN 

Kiaeria falcata LC EN 


List List 

Bryum warneum NT EN 

Hygrohypnum duriusculum NT EN 

Pseudocalliergon lycopodioides NT EN 

Scapania gymnostomophila NT EN 

Barbilophozia kunzeana NT VU 

Bryum dyffrynense NT VU 

Cephaloziella calyculata NT VU 

Dendrocryphaea lamyana NT VU 

Fossombronia maritima NT VU 

Grimmia tergestina NT VU 

Habrodon perpusillus NT VU 

Orthotrichum obtusifolium NT VU 

Seligeria campylopoda NT VU 

Sematophyllum substrumulosum NT VU 

Syntrichia princeps NT VU 

Riccia crozalsii LC EN 

Ricciocarpos natans LC EN 

Scapania ornithopodioides LC EN 

Scapania paludosa LC EN 

Scapania uliginosa LC EN 

Sphagnum fuscum LC EN 

Splachnum ampullaceum LC EN 

Tortula canescens LC EN 

Ulota calvescens LC EN 

Ulota hutchinsiae LC EN 

Atrichum tenellum LC VU 

Barbilophozia hatcheri LC VU- 

Bryum elegans LC VU 

Calypogeia azurea LC VU- 

Catoscopium nigritum LC VU 

Cephalozia loitlesbergeri LC VU 

Cephalozia macrostachya 

var. spiniflora LC VU 

Cephaloziella elachista LC VU 

Dicranum flagellare LC VU 

Didymodon tomaculosus LC VU 

Ditrichum pusillum LC VU 

Entodon concinnus LC VU- 

Ephemerum recurvifolium LC VU 

Fissidens polyphyllus LC VU 

Grimmia funalis LC VU- 

Grimmia longirostris LC VU 

Hageniella micans LC VU 

Hedwigia ciliata var. ciliata LC VU 

Herzogiella seligeri LC VU 

Hygroamblystegium humile LC VU 

Hypnum callichroum LC VU- 

Hypnum hamulosum LC VU- 

Isopterygiopsis muelleriana LC VU- 

Jungermannia borealis LC VU 

Leptoscyphus cuneifolius LC VU


List List 

Lophozia obtusa LC EN 

Marsupella stableri LC EN 

Mnium thomsonii LC EN 

Molendoa warburgii LC EN 

Paraleptodontium recurvifolium LC EN 

Philonotis rigida LC EN 

Plagiothecium platyphyllum LC EN 

Pohlia elongata var. greenii LC EN 

Pohlia filum LC EN 

Pohlia ludwigii LC EN 

Radula voluta LC EN 

Rhytidium rugosum LC EN 

Schistidium pruinosum LC VU 

Solenostoma subellipticum LC VU- 

Sphagnum austinii LC VU 

Sphagnum pulchrum LC VU 

Sphagnum riparium LC VU 

Thuidium recognitum LC VU- 

Tortella densa LC VU 

Bazzania tricrenata LC NT 

Dicranella cerviculata LC NT 

Table 5. The 140 taxa that are “doing worse” in Wales than they are in Great Britain, 

arranged by decreasing GB threat category. Taxa are included if they are Threatened (EN 

& VU) or Near Threatened (NT) in GB but have a higher threat category in Wales, or if they 

are Least Concern (LC) in GB but Threatened or Near Threatened in Wales. Taxa that are 

threatened in GB but extinct in Wales are excluded (see section 7.2). 

7.5 Taxa reaching the edge of their 

range in Wales 

Nearly 30 taxa reach the northern edge of their British range in Wales (Table 6) and nearly 

150 are at their southern edge (Table 7). The former is comparable to the equivalent 

count for vascular plants, but the latter is a far larger total. It is becoming increasingly 

important to identify such species in order to select priorities for conservation and for 

monitoring the impacts of climate change. Small, edge-of-range populations of species 

that might be vulnerable to change are particularly important as they are often 

genetically distinct. 

16 montane taxa that were at their southern edge in Wales are believed to be extinct. 

Several were last seen in the 19 th century, but there remains a faint chance that 

populations may exist undiscovered in Snowdonia. They are listed separately at the end 

of Table 7. 



List List 

Leucodon sciuroides 

var. morensis LC VU 

Marsupella adusta LC VU- 

Marsupella alpina LC VU- 

Marsupella sphacelata LC VU- 

Microbryum floerkeanum LC VU 

Orthothecium rufescens LC VU- 

Physcomitrium sphaericum LC VU 

Plagiochila heterophylla LC VU 

Pottiopsis caespitosa LC VU 

Racomitrium macounii LC VU- 

Radula aquilegia LC VU- 

Schistidium agassizii LC VU 

Entosthodon muhlenbergii LC NT 

Grimmia decipiens LC NT 

Grimmia laevigata LC NT 

Leptodon smithii LC NT 

Oedipodium griffithianum LC NT 

Pallavicinia lyellii LC NT 

Targionia hypophylla LC NT 

Tortella inclinata LC NT 

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24 

Taxon Wales 

Red List 

Bryum gemmiparum EN 

Bryum kunzei 

Cephaloziella calyculata VU 

Cephaloziella massalongi CR 

Cephaloziella nicholsonii EN 

Dendrocryphaea lamyana VU 

Dialytrichia saxicola RE 

Ditrichum subulatum VU 

Fissidens curvatus EN 

Fissidens monguillonii 

Fissidens serrulatus RE 

Fossombronia caespitiformis WL 

Fossombronia maritima VU 

Leptodon smithii NT 

Microbryum davallianum 

var. commutatum DD 

Taxon Wales 

Red List 

Amphidium lapponicum 

Anastrophyllum hellerianum 

Andreaea alpina 

Andreaea megistospora 

Andreaea mutabilis 

Andreaea rupestris 

var. papillosa WL 

Anomobryum concinnatum 

Anomodon longifolius EN 

Anthelia julacea 

Anthelia juratzkana ! EN 

Aphanolejeunea microscopica 

Arctoa fulvella 

Barbilophozia atlantica 

Barbilophozia hatcheri VU- 

Barbilophozia kunzeana VU 

Bartramia halleriana 

Bazzania tricrenata NT 

Bryum calophyllum CR 

Bryum elegans VU 

Bryum marratii EN 

Bryum mildeanum EN 

Bryum muehlenbeckii ! EN 

Bryum riparium 

Calypogeia azurea VU- 

Campylopus gracilis 

Campylopus setifolius 

Catoscopium nigritum VU 

Cephalozia loitlesbergeri VU 

Cololejeunea calcarea 

Cynodontium jenneri 

Cynodontium polycarpon EN 

Dicranodontium asperulum CR 

Taxon Wales 

Red List 

Micromitrium tenerum CR 

Pottiopsis caespitosa VU 

Riccia crozalsii EN 

Riccia nigrella EN 

Scorpiurium circinatum 

Seligeria campylopoda VU 

Sematophyllum substrumulosum VU 

Southbya tophacea 

Tortula cuneifolia EN 

Tortula wilsonii EN 

Weissia levieri EN 

Weissia multicapsularis CR 

Weissia sterilis VU 

Table 6. Taxa that reach the northern edge of their GB distribution in Wales. 

Taxon Wales 

Red List 

Grimmia torquata 

Gymnocolea acutiloba ! EN 

Hageniella micans VU 

Hedwigia ciliata 

var. leucophaea DD 

Hedwigia integrifolia 

Herbertus aduncus 

Herbertus stramineus 

Hygrobiella laxifolia 

Hygrohypnum duriusculum EN 

Hygrohypnum eugyrium 

Hylocomiastrum umbratum 

Hypnum callichroum VU- 

Hypnum hamulosum VU- 

Isopterygiopsis muelleriana VU- 

Isothecium myosuroides 

var. brachythecioides 

Jungermannia borealis VU 

Jungermannia exsertifolia 

Kiaeria blyttii 

Kiaeria falcata EN 

Leiocolea collaris 

Leiocolea fitzgeraldiae ! CR 

Leiocolea heterocolpos 

Lepidozia pearsonii 

Leptoscyphus cuneifolius ! VU 

Lophozia obtusa EN 

Marsupella adusta VU- 

Marsupella alpina VU- 

Marsupella emarginata 

var. pearsonii WL 

Marsupella stableri EN 

Meesia uliginosa CR

Taxon Wales 

Red List 

Dicranoweisia crispula EN 

Dicranum leioneuron 

Dicranum undulatum EN 

Ditrichum zonatum 

Encalypta ciliata 

Eremonotus myriocarpus 

Fissidens rufulus 

Fossombronia fimbriata CR 

Frullania microphylla 

var. deciduifolia EN 

Glyphomitrium daviesii EN 

Grimmia alpestris ! CR 

Grimmia arenaria VU- 

Grimmia atrata 

Grimmia elongata VU- 

Grimmia funalis VU- 

Grimmia incurva 

Pohlia ludwigii EN 

Pohlia proligera DD 

Pohlia wahlenbergii 

var. glacialis CR 

Pseudobryum cinclidioides 

Racomitrium ellipticum 

Racomitrium macounii VU- 

Radula aquilegia VU- 

Radula voluta EN 

Rhabdoweisia crenulata 

Rhytidiadelphus subpinnatus 

Scapania aequiloba 

Scapania calcicola ! CR 

Scapania cuspiduligera 

Scapania gymnostomophila ! EN 

Scapania lingulata 

Scapania ornithopodioides EN 

Scapania paludosa EN 

Schistidium agassizii VU 

Schistidium confertum WL 

Schistidium flaccidum ! CR 

Schistidium frigidum 

var. frigidum DD 

Schistidium frigidum 

var. havaasii ! DD 

Schistidium helveticum ! DD 

Schistidium papillosum ! DD 

Schistidium pruinosum VU 

Schistidium robustum WL 

Schistidium trichodon CR- 

Taxon Wales 

Red List 

Metzgeria leptoneura 

Metzgeria pubescens 

Mnium thomsonii EN 

Molendoa warburgii EN 

Oedipodium griffithianum NT 

Orthothecium rufescens VU- 

Paraleptodontium recurvifolium EN 

Philonotis tomentella CR 

Physcomitrium sphaericum VU 

Plagiobryum zieri 

Plagiochila exigua 

Plagiochila heterophylla VU 

Plagiopus oederianus 

Plagiothecium platyphyllum EN 

Pohlia elongata 

var. greenii EN 

Seligeria brevifolia 

Solenostoma obovatum 

Sphagnum affine 

Sphagnum balticum EN 

Sphagnum platyphyllum 

Sphagnum skyense ! DD 

Sphagnum warnstorfii 

Sphenolobopsis pearsonii 

Tomentypnum nitens NT 

Tortella bambergeri 

Tritomaria exsecta 

Ulota drummondii 

Andreaea alpestris ! EX 

Conostomum tetragonum RE 

Diplophyllum taxifolium ! RE 

Encalypta alpina RE 

Encalypta rhaptocarpa RE 

Gymnomitrion corallioides ! RE 

Lophozia longidens RE 

Myurella julacea RE 

Philonotis cernua ! RE 

Philonotis seriata ! RE 

Pseudoleskeella catenulata RE 

Pterigynandrum filiforme RE 

Scapania nimbosa ! RE 

Solenostoma confertissimum RE 

Sphagnum strictum ! RE 

Tetraplodon angustatus ! RE 

Table 7. Taxa that reach the southern edge of their GB distribution in Wales. Taxa which 

are/were disjunct from Scotland are marked ‘!’ next to the species name, whilst taxa 

believed to be extinct in Wales are listed at the end of the table. A hyphen ‘-‘ next to the 

threat category indicates taxa downgraded by one threat category because they are 

potentially under-recorded in north Wales (see section 5.4 above). 


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26 

7.6 Species for which Wales has a particular 

responsibility 

Consideration is given here to those taxa for which Wales has a particular responsibility 

for conservation. In the GB Red Data List (Hodgetts, unpublished), taxa for which Great 

Britain has an international responsibility are indicated by showing those for which we 

probably or definitely have more than 25% of the European population. 

For this study a very crude assessment of responsibility has been made using the number 

of hectads occupied by each taxon in Great Britain. This total was compared with the 

number of extant (post-1970) Welsh hectads. Any taxon for which Wales has 25% or more 

of the GB population is indicated in the Red Data List. In order to highlight conservation 

priorities, all of these taxa that are also threatened in Wales are listed in Table 8. In 

addition, the list includes 10 taxa that are of Least Concern in Wales but for which Wales 

holds 50% or more of the GB population. Several of these are considered Threatened or 

Near Threatened in GB as a whole.

Taxon Wales Red Proportion (%) of 

Data List GB population 

Bartramia stricta EN 100 

Ephemerum crassinervium subsp. rutheanum VU 100 

Frullania microphylla var. deciduifolia EN 100 

Seligeria oelandica VU 100 

Sematophyllum demissum VU 100 

Gymnocolea acutiloba EN 75 

Seligeria campylopoda VU 71 

Grimmia arenaria VU 45 

Grimmia elongata VU 45 

Riccia nigrella EN 40 

Weissia levieri EN 40 

Dendrocryphaea lamyana VU 36 

Philonotis rigida EN 35 

Anomodon longifolius EN 33 

Bryum gemmiparum EN 33 

Ditrichum subulatum VU 33 

Grimmia alpestris CR 33 

Grimmia laevigata NT 33 

Fissidens curvatus EN 31 

Scopelophila cataractae EN 29 

Tortella inclinata NT 29 

Targionia hypophylla NT 26 

Cephaloziella calyculata VU 25 

Habrodon perpusillus VU 25 

Hedwigia ciliata var. ciliata VU 25 

Micromitrium tenerum CR 25 

Seligeria brevifolia CR 25 

Sematophyllum substrumulosum VU 25 

Scapania paludicola 89 

Southbya tophacea 75 

Rhytidiadelphus subpinnatus 73 

Amblystegium radicale 64 

Entosthodon pulchellus 60 

Porella pinnata 59 

Ditrichum plumbicola 56 

Petalophyllum ralfsii 55 

Coscinodon cribrosus 52 

Fissidens monguillonii 50 

Table 8. Threatened Welsh taxa for which Wales has 25% or more of the total GB hectads, 

in order of decreasing proportion, and taxa that are not considered threatened in Wales 

but which have 50% or more of the total GB hectads in Wales. 


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28 

8. 

Bryophyte 

Red Data List 

for Wales

Comments 

Disjunct from Scotland? 

Edge of GB range? 

Prop (%) of GB population 

Wales extant (post-1970) 

Wales hectads (all records) 

Significant decline? 

Europe Red List 

Section 42 Wales 

Native/alien status 

Criteria 

Wales Red List 

Taxon 

MLH 

GB Red List 2011 


M Abietinella abietina var. abietina EN A, B Native >50% 10 3 5 Lost from Carmarthenshire & Caernarfon and perhaps from 2 sites in Glamorgan; extant on Anglesey (2 sites) & in Glamorgan (1 site) 

M Acaulon muticum Native 

L Adelanthus decipiens Native 14 8 7 Outliers in Devon & Cornwall, otherwise southern edge in Cardiganshire (Cwm Llyfnant) 

M Aloina aloides Native 

M Aloina ambigua Native 15 9 10 Widespread but generally uncommon 

M Aloina rigida CR A, B, C Native >50% 5 1 2 Lost from Monmouthshire, Meirionydd & Denbighshire but still extant in tiny quantity at one site in Flintshire (Halkyn Mountain) 

M Amblyodon dealbatus EN B Native 9 5 7 One colony in Devon otherwise southern edge in Glamorgan (Whiteford Burrows); vulnerable species of dunes; only inland records from 

Brecknock (Black Mountains 1981) and Carmarthenshire (1905 & 1929) 

M Amblystegium confervoides Native 9 6 19 Scattered colonies on carboniferous limestone 

DD NT M Amblystegium radicale Native Rare 7 7 64 Historically known from single sites in Cornwall & Meirionydd and lost from Cornwall (Blackstock & Holyoak, 2004), however recently found 

to be present in reed fen in Pembrokeshire & Glamorgan (Bosanquet, 2006b), as well as casually in cereal fields; unlikely to be threatened 

M Amblystegium serpens var. salinum Native 17 12 16 Widespread on the Welsh coast 

M Amblystegium serpens var. serpens Native 

M Amphidium lapponicum Native 11 8 11 S Southern edge in Brecknock/Carmarthenshire (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

M Amphidium mougeotii Native 

L Anastrepta orcadensis Native 23 17 6 One outlier in Devon, otherwise southern edge in Cardiganshire (Pumlumon) 

L Anastrophyllum hellerianum Native 8 7 15 S Southern edge in Brecknock/Glamorgan (Waterfalls area) 

L Anastrophyllum minutum Native 

DD DD M Andreaea alpestris EX Native >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Equivocal records from Caernarfon (Snowdon, 1879; Hill, 1988) 

M Andreaea alpina Native 30 16 8 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

M Andreaea megistospora Native Rare 9 6 18 S Southern edge in Pembrokeshire (Carn Ingli), 4 recent north Wales records by ME Newton in different localities compaired to 3 historic ones 

suggest that this species is relatively stable 

M Andreaea mutabilis Native Rare 7 6 19 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Cwm Doethie) 

M Andreaea rothii subsp. falcata Native 

M Andreaea rothii subsp. rothii WL Native >50% 6 3 10 Probably under-recorded, but no recent records from Pembrokeshire 

M Andreaea rupestris var. papillosa WL Native >50% 2 1 50 S Southern edge in Meirionydd, but confusion over identification of British plants 

M Andreaea rupestris var. rupestris Native 

L Aneura mirabilis Native 12 11 14 Probably under-recorded because it grows under Sphagnum; widely scattered but often sought without success 

L Aneura pinguis Native 

M Anoectangium aestivum Native 

M Anomobryum concinnatum Native 12 10 15 S Southern edge in Brecknock 

M Anomobryum julaceum Native 

EN VU M Anomodon longifolius EN B Native S42 2 2 33 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire (Mounton & Lady Park Wood), where very rare and vulnerable at 2 sites (Bosanquet, 2003) 

M Anomodon viticulosus Native 

L Anthelia julacea Native 14 10 5 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Afon Irfon) 

L Anthelia juratzkana EN B Native 5 3 4 S Yes Southern edge in Meirionydd (Cadair Idris) 

H Anthoceros agrestis Arch? 

H Anthoceros punctatus Native 

M Antitrichia curtipendula EN A Native >50% 25 8 3 Lost from Monmouthshire & Pembrokeshire, and restricted in south Wales to one site in Brecknock (Darren Llwyd), most north Wales records 

are pre-1970 

L Aphanolejeunea microscopica Native 19 14 5 S Southern edge in Glamorgan (Sgwd Gwladys) 

M Aphanorrhegma patens Native 

M Archidium alternifolium Native 

M Arctoa fulvella Native 6 6 11 S Southern edge in Caernarfon, lost from Meirionydd 

CR CR M Atrichum angustatum RE Native S42 >50% 2 0 0 W Lost from Carmarthenshire (Afon Llwchwr 1926; Bosanquet et al., 2005) and now restricted to SE England 

M Atrichum crispum NA Neo 

M Atrichum tenellum VU D2 Native 4 4 9 Present at single sites in Brecknock (Upper Neuadd Reservoir; Motley & Bosanquet, 2005), Pembrokeshire (Waun Isaf; SDS Bosanquet) & 

Cardiganshire (Nant y Moch Reservoir; SDS Bosanquet) 

29

30 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



M Atrichum undulatum var. undulatum Native 

M Aulacomnium androgynum Native 

M Aulacomnium palustre Native 

L Barbilophozia atlantica Native 21 18 13 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire 

L Barbilophozia attenuata Native 

L Barbilophozia barbata Native 

L Barbilophozia floerkei Native 

L Barbilophozia hatcheri VU- A-, B- Native >50% 6 3 2 S Southern edge in Radnorshire 

VU NT L Barbilophozia kunzeana VU D2 Native S42 3 3 18 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire (Nant y Twyn 1998; Bosanquet, 2003), also single sites in Brecknock (Nant Gwnfel 1996; Woods, 2006) & 

Denbighshire (Moel Dywyll 1984; TBDB) 

M Barbula convoluta Native 

M Barbula unguiculata Native 

M Bartramia halleriana Native 24 17 16 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Waterfalls area) 

M Bartramia ithyphylla Native 

M Bartramia pomiformis Native 

CR CR M Bartramia stricta EN A, B Native S42 >50% 2 1 100 Only extant GB colony is in Radnorshire (Stanner Rocks), lost from Montgomeryshire (Breidden Hill 1962), historic records from Sussex & 

Perthshire 

L Bazzania tricrenata NT B Native 20 16 5 S Lost from Brecknock & Carmarthenshire, now southern edge in Meirionydd 

L Bazzania trilobata Native 

L Blasia pusilla Native 

L Blepharostoma trichophyllum Native 

M Blindia acuta Native 

M Brachydontium trichodes Native Rare 18 14 16 Frequent in Brecon Beacons (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

M Brachytheciastrum velutinum Native 

M Brachythecium albicans Native 

M Brachythecium glareosum Native 

M Brachythecium mildeanum Native 

M Brachythecium rivulare Native 

M Brachythecium rutabulum Native 

M Brachythecium salebrosum WL Native 1 1 1 W Western edge in Carmarthenshire (Cwm Gwernen; Bosanquet et al., 2005), only Welsh record 

M Breutelia chrysocoma Native 

M Bryoerythrophyllum ferruginascens Native 

M Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostrum Native 

M Bryum algovicum Native 

M Bryum alpinum Native 

M Bryum archangelicum Native 

M Bryum argenteum Native 

M Bryum bornholmense Native 

M Bryum caespiticium Native 

EN VU M Bryum calophyllum CR A, B Native S42 Rare >50% 6 1 7 S Southern edge was in Cardiganshire, now in Anglesey, extant sparsely over 30x7m at Tywyn Aberffraw, lost from 5 other sites (Holyoak, 2001b) 

M Bryum canariense Native 14 9 30 One outlier in Lancashire, otherwise northern edge on Anglesey 

M Bryum capillare Native 

M Bryum creberrimum DD Native 7 5 26 Lost from Brecknock, last seen 1907; perhaps under-recorded throughout GB 

M Bryum dichotomum Native 

M Bryum donianum Native 

NT NT M Bryum dyffrynense VU D2 Native 2 2 22 Holyoak (2003) gives Morfa Dyffryn as type locality of Bryum dyffrynense 

M Bryum elegans VU D2 Native 2 2 5 S Extinct in southern England, southern edge now in Denbighshire (World's End; Hill, 1988) 

M Bryum gemmiferum Native

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



EN EN M Bryum gemmiparum EN A, B Native S42 >50% 4 2 33 N Northern world edge in Brecknock, where extant at two sites (River Usk at Sennybridge & Fenni-fach; TBDB), lost from 3 others & from Monmouthshire 

DD DD M Bryum intermedium CR A, B Native >50% 8 1 1 Lost from dune systems in 6 vice-counties; recently recorded only in Flintshire (Ddol; Hill, 1988) and not looked for there subsequently 

M Bryum klinggraeffii Native 

VU VU M Bryum knowltonii CR A, B Native S42 >50% 5 1 5 Lost from 4 sites and now extant as a single small patch at Morfa Dyffryn SSSI (Holyoak, 2001b) 

NT NT M Bryum kunzei Native 9 7 44 N Northern edge in Anglesey/Caernarfon 

EN VU M Bryum marratii EN A, B Native S42 RT >50% 4 2 13 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire, lost from 3 sites and now extant over 26x3m in Ynyslas carpark and in a 30m strip near Minfordd (Holyoak, 2001b) 

M Bryum mildeanum EN A, B Native >50% 8 2 12 S Southern edge in Brecknock, lost from Caernarfon since 1892, only seen twice in south Wales since 1965 (Moel Penderyn 2007 & Foel Fawr 

2009; SDSB pers. obs.) 

M Bryum moravicum Native 

DD NT M Bryum muehlenbeckii EN B Native 1 1 8 S Yes Southern edge in Caernarfon (Rhaedr Ogwen 1988 & Carnedd Llewelyn 1988; TBDB), otherwise no further south than Perthshire 

M Bryum pallens Native 

M Bryum pallescens Native 

M Bryum pseudotriquetrum var. bimum Native 12 8 8 Under-recorded because of identification difficulties 

M Bryum pseudotriquetrum var. Native 

pseudotriquetrum 

M Bryum radiculosum Native 

M Bryum riparium Native Rare 11 9 16 S Southern edge in Glamorgan (Cwm Dimbath; Perry, 1994) 

M Bryum rubens Native 

M Bryum ruderale Arch? 

M Bryum sauteri Native 

M Bryum subapiculatum Native 

M Bryum tenuisetum Native DD 16 15 23 Scattered in north Wales (Hill, 1988) and south to Radnorshire; easily overlooked 

M Bryum torquescens Native 9 6 15 Rare on carboniferous limestone near the coasts of north and south Wales 

RE RE M Bryum turbinatum EX Native >50% 5 0 0 Lost from Brecknock, Monmouthshire & Meirionydd, now extinct in GB 

CR RE M Bryum uliginosum EX Native RT >50% 2 0 0 Lost from Meirionydd (Morfa Dyffryn to 1904; Holyoak, 2001b), almost extinct in GB 

M Bryum violaceum Arch? 

VU NT M Bryum warneum EN A, B Native S42 Rare >50% 8 3 15 Extant at 2 SSSI in Meirionydd (Morfa Dyffryn & Morfa Harlech) and 1 in Anglesey (Tywyn Aberffraw), lost from 7 other sites (Holyoak, 2001b) 

M Bryum weigelii EN B Native 2 2 3 One outlier in Shropshire, otherwise southern edge in Caernarfon (six sites in Carneddau; Hill, 1988) 

M Buxbaumia aphylla EN A, B Native RT >50% 3 1 3 Lost from Meirionydd (upper Dyfi 1896) and Montgomeryshire (Breidden Hill 1960s), and could not be refound in Radnorshire in 2007 having 

been seen in 1999 (Burfa Bank; Lawley, 2007) 

M Calliergon cordifolium Native 

M Calliergon giganteum Native 

M Calliergonella cuspidata Native 

M Calliergonella lindbergii Native 

L Calypogeia arguta Native 

L Calypogeia azurea VU- B- Native 7 5 5 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Cefn Cwm Crew; Woods, 2006) 

L Calypogeia fissa Native 

L Calypogeia muelleriana Native 

L Calypogeia neesiana Native 

L Calypogeia sphagnicola Native 

M Campyliadelphus chrysophyllus Native 

M Campyliadelphus elodes Native RT 16 10 11 Still locally abundant in fens on Anglesey (S.D.S. Bosanquet pers. obs.) and in dunes in Carmarthenshire (Pembrey) 

M Campylium protensum Native 

M Campylium stellatum Native 

M Campylophyllum calcareum Native 

M Campylopus atrovirens var. atrovirens Native 

M Campylopus brevipilus Native 21 17 6 Widespread but generally rare in coastal heathland; Hill (1988) reports it as "locally abundant near Holyhead and at the tip of Lleyn". 

M Campylopus flexuosus Native 

31

32 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



M Campylopus fragilis Native 

M Campylopus gracilis Native 11 9 8 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Maesnant, Pumlimon; Hill, 1988), rare in north Wales (Hill, 1988) 

M Campylopus introflexus NA Neo 

M Campylopus pilifer Native 10 10 37 Present in six places in Pembrokeshire (Bosanquet, 2010) and several on the Barmouth-Porthmadog coast (Hill, 1988), but intermediates to 

C. introflexus are confusing 

M Campylopus pyriformis Native 

M Campylopus setifolius Native Rare 14 12 17 S Southern edge in Meirionydd, occasional in north Wales (Hill, 1988) 

M Campylopus subulatus Native 27 15 19 A widespread weed of damp gravelly ground, probably overlooked 

M Campylostelium saxicola EN A, B Native Rare >50% 8 3 9 Lost from Meirionydd (2 sites to 1911) and sites in Caernarfon (Hill, 1988) and Brecknock (Woods, 2006) probably extant in Brecknock 

(Talybont & Grwyne Fawr), Cardiganshire (Ponterwyd) & Caernarfon (Moel Hebog & Eryri) 

M Catoscopium nigritum VU D2 Native 2 2 6 S Southern edge on Anglesey (Tywyn Aberffraw & Newborough Warren; Hill, 1988) 

L Cephalozia bicuspidata Native 

L Cephalozia catenulata Native 

L Cephalozia connivens Native 

L Cephalozia leucantha EN A, B Native >50% 4 1 1 A few Cornish colonies, otherwise southern edge in Meirionydd (Arthog Bog) 

L Cephalozia loitlesbergeri VU D2 Native 4 4 8 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Cors Caron) 

L Cephalozia lunulifolia Native 

L Cephalozia macrostachya var. EN A, B Native >50% 7 3 8 Lost from Pembrokeshire (3 sites), still thriving on Cors Fochno (S.D.S. Bosanquet pers. obs., 2009), apparent decline may be because some 

macrostachya records not assigned to variety 

L Cephalozia macrostachya var. spiniflora VU D2 Native 2 2 14 Only Welsh records are from Cardiganshire (Cors Caron 1990) and Anglesey (heath nr Brynrefail 1994) 

L Cephalozia pleniceps Native 21 19 28 Found to be frequent in south Wales suggesting it is overlooked elsewhere (Bosanquet & Motley, 2005), unlikely to be threatened 

VU NT L Cephaloziella calyculata VU D2 Native S42 Rare 3 3 25 N Northern world edge in Pembrokeshire (2 sites), also in Glamorgan (2 sites) (Bosanquet, 2008b) 

L Cephaloziella divaricata Native 

L Cephaloziella elachista VU D2 Native DD 1 1 8 W Western edge in Pembrokeshire, where extant at only Welsh site (Esgyrn Bottom) 

L Cephaloziella hampeana Native 

NT VU L Cephaloziella massalongi CR A, B Arch? Rare >50% 9 1 7 N Northern edge on Anglesey (last seen 1959), still extant at Figra Mine (Des Callaghan pers. obs., 2011) otherwise last seen near Llanfrothen in 

1967 (TBDB) 

VU VU L Cephaloziella nicholsonii EN A, B Arch? S42 Rare >50% 2 1 6 N Lost from Meirionydd (Bontddu) since 1923 (Hill, 1988), now northern world edge in Cardiganshire (Cwmystwyth 1998) 

L Cephaloziella rubella Native 

L Cephaloziella spinigera EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 4 Lost from Anglesey (Llandonna Common), perhaps extant at single site in Cardiganshire (Cors Caron 1970; Hale, 1998) 

L Cephaloziella stellulifera Native 31 22 24 Relatively frequent on the Welsh coast and probably somewhat under-recorded 

NT NT L Cephaloziella turneri NT B Native 11 6 23 One outlier on Kintyre, otherwise northern edge in Carmarthenshire (Laugharne), lost from Meirionydd (Y Gardd, Minffordd) since 1916 (Hill, 

1988) and from sites in Carmarthenshire & Monmouthshire 

M Ceratodon purpureus Native 

L Chiloscyphus pallescens Native 

L Chiloscyphus polyanthos Native 

M Cinclidium stygium RE Native >50% 1 0 0 Lost from Meirionydd (Cadair Idris 1939; Hill, 1988) 

M Cinclidotus fontinaloides Native 

M Cirriphyllum crassinervium Native 

M Cirriphyllum piliferum Native 

L Cladopodiella fluitans Native 

L Cladopodiella francisci EN A, B Native >50% 7 3 4 Lost from Monmouthshire, Meirionydd & 1 site in Pembrokeshire, extant at single sites in Glamorgan, Pembrokeshire & Anglesey 

M Climacium dendroides Native 

L Cololejeunea calcarea Native 28 18 7 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire 

L Cololejeunea minutissima Native 

L Cololejeunea rossettiana Native 10 9 13 Reasonably frequent on shaded carboniferous limestone 

L Colura calyptrifolia Native RT 48 43 24 Dramatic recent increase, especially in conifer plantations 

L Conocephalum conicum Native

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



L Conocephalum salebrosum Native 34 34 61 Recently recognised and under-recorded in Britain - not threatened 

M Conostomum tetragonum RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Lost from Caernarfon (Glyders 1910, Snowdon 1919; Hill, 1988) 

M Coscinodon cribrosus Native 28 22 52 Frequent on the north coasts of Pembrokeshire & Cardiganshire, apparently more so than elsewhere in GB, but perhaps under-recorded in 

England and Scotland 

M Cratoneuron filicinum Native 

M Cryphaea heteromalla Native 

M Ctenidium molluscum 

var. condensatum Native 

M Ctenidium molluscum var. molluscum Native 

M Ctenidium molluscum var. robustum DD Native 2 2 13 Southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Afon Clydach 2003; Bosanquet et al., 2005) 

M Cynodontium bruntonii Native 

M Cynodontium jenneri Native 4 3 4 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Moelwyn Bach) 

M Cynodontium polycarpon EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 17 S Southern edge in Meirionydd, lost from 1 or perhaps both sites (Cadair Idris to 1860; Cwm Croesor to 1970) 

VU VU M Daltonia splachnoides DD Native 1 1 10 E Recently found in a conifer plantation in Carmarthenshire (SDS Bosanquet pers. obs., 2010), spreading rapidly in Ireland and clearly a recent 

colonist in Wales so not considered to be threatened 

VU NT M Dendrocryphaea lamyana VU D2 Native S42 VU 5 5 36 N Northern edge in Cardiganshire, significant part of GB population is on Afon Teifi (Holyoak, 2002), also on Afon Tywi (Bosanquet et al., 2005) 

M Dialytrichia mucronata Native 29 24 11 W Western edge in Pembrokeshire (Sandy Haven) 

NE VU M Dialytrichia saxicola RE Native >50% 1 0 0 N Northern edge in Caernarfon, only Welsh record (Prenteg 1927; Bates et al., 2007) 

M Dichodontium flavescens Native 13 8 22 Under-recorded in GB because only identifiable when fruiting 

M Dichodontium palustre Native 

M Dichodontium pellucidum Native 

M Dicranella cerviculata NT B Native 30 17 7 Lost from Monmouthshire, Glamorgan, Radnorshire & Pembrokeshire in 20th century 

M Dicranella crispa EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 2 Lost from Meirionydd (Morfa Dyffryn) since 1911, found in Radnorshire by Mark Lawley in 2009 

M Dicranella heteromalla Native 

M Dicranella rufescens Native 

M Dicranella schreberiana Native 

M Dicranella staphylina Arch? 

M Dicranella subulata Native 

M Dicranella varia Native 

M Dicranodontium asperulum CR B Native DD 1 1 3 S Southern edge in Caernarfon, only Welsh site 

M Dicranodontium denudatum Native 

M Dicranoweisia cirrata Native 

M Dicranoweisia crispula EN B Native 2 2 4 S Southern edge in Caernarfon, lost from 1 of 3 sites (Hill, 1988) 

M Dicranum bonjeanii Native 

M Dicranum flagellare VU D2 Native 3 3 8 Rare in eastern Wales and perhaps only a casual here 

M Dicranum fuscescens Native 

DD DD M Dicranum leioneuron Native 7 6 43 S Southern edge in Brecknock, but taxonomically confused and perhaps not a true British species (G.P. Rothero pers. comm.) 

M Dicranum majus Native 

M Dicranum montanum Native 13 13 6 Occasional in eastern Wales, perhaps spreading westwards 

M Dicranum polysetum WL Native 1 1 2 W Western edge in Anglesey (Newborough Forest), where a relatively recent arrival 

M Dicranum scoparium Native 

M Dicranum scottianum Native 

M Dicranum tauricum Native 

VU VU M Dicranum undulatum EN A, B Native S42 >50% 4 1 5 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Cors Fochno), where last seen in 1967 (Hale, 1998) and not refound in 2009, still extant in Denbighshire 

(Bettisfield Moss) 

M Didymodon acutus Native 14 8 10 Widespread on coastal limestone, rarer inland 

M Didymodon fallax Native 

M Didymodon ferrugineus Native 

33

34 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



M Didymodon insulanus Native 

M Didymodon luridus Native 

M Didymodon nicholsonii Native 

M Didymodon rigidulus Native 

M Didymodon sinuosus Native 

M Didymodon spadiceus Native 

LC LC M Didymodon tomaculosus VU D2 Arch? S42 DD 2 2 9 Only recorded in Wales from Pembrokeshire and Monmouthshire, but probably overlooked 

M Didymodon tophaceus Native 

M Didymodon umbrosus NA Neo 3 3 4 W Western edge in Glamorgan (Ewenny Priory, R.V. Lansdown 2009) 

M Didymodon vinealis Native 57 43 5 Rarer in Wales than in England, but still locally frequent in the lowlands 

M Diphyscium foliosum Native 

L Diplophyllum albicans Native 

L Diplophyllum obtusifolium Native 67 58 41 Frequent in conifer plantations in Wales and probably better recorded here than in most of GB 

L Diplophyllum taxifolium RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Lost from Caernarfon (Glyders 1844; Hill, 1988), now southern edge in Perthshire 

M Discelium nudum Native RT 6 6 7 Very scarce in north-east Wales 

M Distichium capillaceum Native 21 14 5 Near southern limit in Brecknock but new records from Cornwall since the Atlas 

M Distichium inclinatum Native 13 12 14 In limestone quarries and dune slacks in both north and south Wales, sometimes on wall mortar 

M Ditrichum flexicaule DD Native >50% 14 5 11 Recently recorded only from Great Orme's Head, Creigiau Eglwyseg, Tywyn Aberffraw & Craig y Cilau, but poorly understood and probably 

not such a significant decline 

M Ditrichum gracile Native 

M Ditrichum heteromallum Native 

M Ditrichum lineare Native 19 18 38 Outlying colony in Cornwall, otherwise southern edge in Carmarthenshire 

NT LC M Ditrichum plumbicola Arch? S42 VU 10 10 56 The Mid Wales ore field is the British headquarters of this species 

M Ditrichum pusillum VU D2 Native 5 4 13 Rare in unremarkable sites in north Wales (Hill, 1988); surely somewhat overlooked 

VU VU M Ditrichum subulatum VU D2 Native S42 4 4 33 N Northern edge in Carmarthenshire, significant proportion of GB colonies in Pembrokeshire (8 populations) 

M Ditrichum zonatum Native 14 12 21 S Southern edge in Carmarthenshire 

L Douinia ovata Native 

M Drepanocladus aduncus Native 

M Drepanocladus polygamus Native 

M Drepanocladus sendtneri EN A, B Native RT >50% 11 4 10 Lost from Monmouthshire, still extant in dunes of Glamorgan and north Wales; inland records from Radnorshire & Flintshire (Halkyn Mountain) 

L Drepanolejeunea hamatifolia Native 15 11 3 One outlier in Cornwall, otherwise southern edge in Meirionydd 

M Encalypta alpina RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Lost from Caernarfon (Cwm Dyli 1931; Hill, 1988) 

M Encalypta ciliata Native 20 18 19 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire, rare in north Wales (Hill, 1988) but widespread in Brecon Beacons (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

M Encalypta rhaptocarpa RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Lost from Caernarfon (Glyders 1880; Hill, 1988) 

M Encalypta streptocarpa Native 

M Encalypta vulgaris Native 

M Entodon concinnus VU- B- Native 8 5 2 BBS spring meeting in 2008 showed Entodon to be more frequent in Denbighshire limestone than previously thought, possibly lost from 

Glamorgan (Oxwich) 

M Entosthodon attenuatus Native 

M Entosthodon fascicularis Native 

M Entosthodon muhlenbergii NT B Native 13 7 21 W Western edge in Glamorgan (Mewslade; Bosanquet, 2008a), lost from Meirionydd (Harlech Castle 1908; Hill, 1988) 

M Entosthodon obtusus Native 

VU NT M Entosthodon pulchellus Native S42 10 9 60 One outlier in Aberdeenshire, otherwise northern edge in Caernarfon (Great Orme's Head), large part of GB population in Glamorgan 

(Bosanquet, 2008a) 

NE NE M Ephemerum crassinervium VU D2 Native 2 2 100 Only British colonies are in Monmouthshire (Wentwood Reservoir), also in Carmarthenshire (Pant-y-llyn Turlough) (Motley & Bosanquet, 

subsp. rutheanum 2005), taxonomy revised by Holyoak (2010), formerly E. hibernicum 

LC NE M Ephemerum crassinervium Native Rare 12 12 29 Six sites in Monmouthshire, 2 in Brecknock, 1 in Carmarthenshire & 2 in Pembrokeshire make south Wales significant for this taxon, only 1 

subsp. sessile north Wales record (Llyn Alaw 1988)

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



M Ephemerum minutissimum Native 

M Ephemerum recurvifolium VU D2 Native Rare 4 4 3 W Western edge in Pembrokeshire where 2 sites, 1 site in Monmouthshire & 1 in Caernarfon, perhaps under-recorded 

M Ephemerum serratum Native 

M Epipterygium tozeri Native 

L Eremonotus myriocarpus Native 9 6 8 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Craig Cerrig Gleisiad) 

M Eucladium verticillatum Native 

M Eurhynchium striatum Native 

M Fissidens adianthoides Native 

M Fissidens bryoides var. bryoides Native 

M Fissidens bryoides var. caespitans Native 101 84 35 Probably better-recorded in Wales than elsewhere in GB 

M Fissidens celticus Native 

M Fissidens crassipes Native 

M Fissidens crispus WL Native >50% 17 8 12 Apparent decline as records based on herbarium review, few bryologists seem to find this species now but it is scattered in Pembrokeshire 

EN EN M Fissidens curvatus EN B Native S42 DD 8 5 31 N Northern edge in Caernarfon, seen at only 4 sites since 1970 (near Harlech 1975; Rock Dingle 1999; Dryslwyn Castle 2002 & 2008; near 

Llandeilo 2009) 

M Fissidens dubius Native 

M Fissidens exilis Native 

M Fissidens fontanus Native 7 7 12 W Western edge in Pembrokeshire (Haverfordwest), also at Monmouth and in Denbighshire (Bangor on Dee) 

M Fissidens gracilifolius Native 

M Fissidens incurvus Native 

NT NT M Fissidens monguillonii Native Rare 8 8 50 N Northern edge on Anglesey (Gwredog 1988), also Denbighshire (Trefriw 1978), 2 sites in Carmarthenshire and 6 in Pembrokeshire 

M Fissidens osmundoides Native 

M Fissidens polyphyllus VU D2 Native 5 5 23 Still thriving on the Afon Glaslyn and in nearby sea caves 

M Fissidens pusillus Native 

M Fissidens rivularis Native 22 21 39 Locally common in south Wales, especially the Brecon Beacons area 

M Fissidens rufulus Native 32 22 28 S Southern edge in Glamorgan 

VU VU M Fissidens serrulatus RE Native S42 >50% 1 0 0 N Northern edge was in Meirionydd (Pencob), where last seen in 1968 and not refound during a targeted search in 2009 

M Fissidens taxifolius var. pallidicaulis Native 8 8 15 Convincing material comes from north and mid Wales south to Carmarthenshire (Mynydd Mallaen) 

M Fissidens taxifolius var. taxifolius Native 

M Fissidens viridulus Native 

M Fontinalis antipyretica var. antipyretica Native 

M Fontinalis antipyretica var. gracilis WL Native >50% 16 8 9 Apparent decline because of lack of interest in varieties of Fontinalis antipyretica 

M Fontinalis squamosa var. squamosa Native 

L Fossombronia angulosa Native 7 7 30 Extant in at least 5 of 6 Pembrokeshire sites and at 2 of 3 near Porthmadog, but lost from Meirionydd (Minffordd 1921; Hill, 1988) 

L Fossombronia caespitiformis WL Native 9 5 14 N Lost from Lancashire, northern edge now in Caernarfon, also lost from north Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire, F. husnotii now considered a 

form of F. caespitiformis 

NT LC L Fossombronia fimbriata CR D Native Rare 4 4 24 S Southern edge in Brecknock/Carmarthenshire (Pont ar Wysg); more than half of post-1970 British records from 6 sites in 2 hectads in 

Pembrokeshire (Preseli & Carn Ingli). No colony has more than 10 plants and the entire Welsh population is

36 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



L Frullania microphylla var. microphylla Native 

L Frullania tamarisci Native 

L Frullania teneriffae Native 

M Funaria hygrometrica Native 

M Glyphomitrium daviesii EN A, B Native Rare >50% 8 4 3 S Southern edge in Pembrokeshire (Mynydd Dinas & Craig Talfynydd), two recent records for Meirionydd (Newton, 2004) not in BBS database, 

lost from other north Wales sites 

M Grimmia alpestris CR B Native 1 1 33 S Yes Southern edge in Meirionydd (Cadair Idris 2001), 1 of 3 GB records (Long, 2008) 

VU VU M Grimmia arenaria VU- B- Native DD 8 5 45 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire, most of GB population is in Wales although recent records suggest overlooked in Lake District 

LC NT M Grimmia atrata Native Rare 12 8 35 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Cwmystwyth) 

M Grimmia decipiens NT B Native 17 9 17 Lost from Montgomeryshire & Anglesey and apparently declining in north Wales (Hill, 1988), but no decline evident in the south 

M Grimmia donniana Native 

EN VU M Grimmia elongata VU- B- Native S42 7 5 45 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Padell Nant Wyddon), only 4 north Wales records since 1970 but unlikely to have been lost from its 4 other 

sites and a similar 'decline' in Lake District appears to be false (F. Cameron pers. comm.) 

M Grimmia funalis VU- A- Native >50% 16 7 5 S Southern edge in Pembrokeshire (Mynydd Preseli), few recent records from north Wales but no reason to suspect a decline 

M Grimmia hartmanii Native 

M Grimmia incurva Native 8 6 27 S Southern edge in Pembrokeshire (3 sites on Mynydd Preseli), very rare in north Wales (Hill, 1988) but recently found new to Cadair Idris and 

perhaps overlooked elsewhere 

M Grimmia laevigata NT B Native 21 14 33 Apparently declining in north Wales, where lost from Meirionydd & Anglesey, but no decline in the south 

M Grimmia lisae Native 22 19 49 Includes G. retracta & G. trichophylla var. subsquarrosa, well recorded in Wales 

M Grimmia longirostris VU D2 Native 5 5 11 Recently found at 2 sites in Monmouthshire (both near Cwmyoy), 1 in Radnorshire (Stanner Rocks), 1 in Montgomeryshire (Breidden Hill) and 

1 in Meirionydd (Moel-y-gest) 

M Grimmia montana EN A, B Native >50% 7 2 9 Lost from Monmouthshire, Meirionydd, Caernarfon & Anglesey, extant at 2 sites in Radnorshire & 1 in Pembrokeshire 

M Grimmia orbicularis Native 18 11 20 Locally abundant on Gower (Bosanquet, 2008a) and Great Orme's Head (Hodgetts, 2003b), also on Anglesey and in the north-east, as well as 

a single site in Pembrokeshire (Stackpole), lost from Meirionydd 

M Grimmia ovalis Native 19 15 34 Core of GB range is in Monmouthshire (16 sites), Brecknock & Herefordshire; otherwise thriving at Stanner Rocks, and present at single sites 

in Carmarthenshire (Bosanquet et al., 2005) & Denbighshire (Hill, 1988) 

M Grimmia pulvinata Native 

M Grimmia ramondii Native 

VU NT M Grimmia tergestina VU D2 Native 1 1 10 Only Welsh record is from Great Orme's Head (Hodgetts, 2003b), but species appears to be spreading in southern Britain 

M Grimmia torquata Native 23 17 11 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

M Grimmia trichophylla Native 

VU VU L Gymnocolea acutiloba EN B Native 3 3 75 S Yes Southern edge in Meirionydd (Rhinogs & Arenig Fawr; TBDB; Blackstock & Newton, 1999); otherwise only known in GB from Easterness 

L Gymnocolea inflata Native 

L Gymnomitrion concinnatum Native 9 7 5 Single outliers in Devon and Pembrokeshire (near Ceibwr Bay), southern edge of core range is Montgomeryshire (Dylife) 

NT NT L Gymnomitrion corallioides RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Lost from Caernarfon (Snowdon summit 1912; Hill, 1988), now southern edge in Perthshire 

L Gymnomitrion crenulatum Native 

L Gymnomitrion obtusum Native 

M Gymnostomum aeruginosum Native 

M Gymnostomum calcareum Native 11 7 9 Widespread but scarce on shaded limestone 

M Gymnostomum viridulum Native 21 21 29 Frequent in the south-west on calcareous dunes and wall mortar, scarce further north-east 

M Gyroweisia tenuis Native 

EN NT M Habrodon perpusillus VU D2 Native S42 4 4 25 Declined significantly in most of GB, detailed surveys of 3 of 4 Welsh colonies indicate that all are potentially vulnerable to shading out 

M Hageniella micans VU D2 Native RT 3 2 5 S Southern edge in Meirionydd, where thought extinct but recently rediscovered at 2 sites (Coed Aberartro & Cwm Bychan) 

M Hamatocaulis vernicosus Native DD 59 52 49 Locally abundant in parts of Brecknock, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire & Cardiganshire (Bosanquet et al., 2006), less common (or less 

well-recorded) in north Wales 

L Haplomitrium hookeri Native Rare 8 8 7 Recorded from far more sites in south Wales (13) than north Wales (2) so probably overlooked in the north 

L Harpalejeunea molleri Native 23 19 7 Relatively widespread in oceanic woodlands, especially in north Wales

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



L Harpanthus scutatus Native 

NT LC M Hedwigia ciliata var. ciliata VU B Native 11 6 25 One recent record from north Wales (RG Woods pers. comm., 2010), other recent records come from stone tiled roofs in the south, remainder 

are based on a herbarium revision so decline may be overemphasised 

NT LC M Hedwigia ciliata var. leucophaea DD Native 1 1 25 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire (Llangua Church) & nearby Herefordshire (Callaghan, 2006) 

M Hedwigia integrifolia Native Rare 19 12 17 S Southern edge in Pembrokeshire (Craig Talfynydd) 

M Hedwigia stellata Native 

M Hennediella heimii Native 

M Hennediella stanfordensis NA Neo 20 20 25 Common on the Severn, Usk, Wye and their tributaries 

L Herbertus aduncus Native 13 12 6 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Cadair Idris area) 

L Herbertus stramineus Native 7 6 5 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Llyn y Gafr, Cadair Idris) 

M Herzogiella seligeri VU D2 Native 1 1 1 W Western edge in Monmouthshire (Penyclawdd), only Welsh site 

M Heterocladium heteropterum 

var. flaccidum Native 

M Heterocladium heteropterum 

var. heteropterum Native 

M Heterocladium wulfsbergii Native 19 11 30 Recognised by Crundwell & Smith (2000) and found to be widespread in western Britain 

M Homalia trichomanoides Native 

M Homalothecium lutescens Native 

M Homalothecium sericeum Native 

M Hookeria lucens Native 

M Hygroamblystegium fluviatile Native 

M Hygroamblystegium humile VU D2 Native 5 3 4 Lost from Meirionydd & Denbighshire; extant in Monmouthshire (Dingestow & Magor) & Flintshire (nr Buckley) 

M Hygroamblystegium tenax Native 

M Hygroamblystegium varium Native 

L Hygrobiella laxifolia Native 25 21 10 S Extinct in SE England, now southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Brechfa Forest) 

LC NT M Hygrohypnum duriusculum EN A, B Native >50% 4 2 10 S Southern edge was in Meirionydd (near Dolgellau; Hill, 1988) but not seen there recently, now perhaps only in Snowdonia 

M Hygrohypnum eugyrium Native 33 19 9 S Lost from Devon, southern edge now in Brecknock (Dyffryn Crawnon; Woods, 2006), apparent decline is probably due to many undated north 

Wales records 

M Hygrohypnum luridum Native 

M Hygrohypnum ochraceum Native 

M Hylocomiastrum umbratum Native 21 14 5 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Cwm Rheidol) 

M Hylocomium splendens Native 

M Hymenostylium recurvirostrum 

var. recurvirostrum Native 

M Hyocomium armoricum Native 

M Hypnum andoi Native 

M Hypnum callichroum VU- A- Native >50% 22 9 4 S Southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Mynydd Mallaen) 

M Hypnum cupressiforme 

var. cupressiforme Native 

M Hypnum cupressiforme var. lacunosum Native 

M Hypnum cupressiforme 

var. resupinatum Native 

M Hypnum hamulosum VU- A-, B- Native >50% 6 2 3 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Cadair Idris), most records were by D.A. Ratcliffe (undated) and many sites have not been re-examined 

M Hypnum imponens EN B Native 3 2 3 Wet heaths and bogs in north Wales, very rare (Hill, 1988), records are from 1988 (Mynydd Hiraethog), 1960 & 1970 

M Hypnum jutlandicum Native 

M Isopterygiopsis muelleriana VU- A-, B- Native >50% 2 1 3 S Southern edge in Caernarfon (4 sites; Hill, 1988), in areas with little thorough post-1970 recording 

M Isopterygiopsis pulchella Native 

M Isothecium alopecuroides Native 

37

38 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



M Isothecium holtii Native 

M Isothecium myosuroides 

var. brachythecioides Native 8 7 4 S Southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Bannau Sir Gaer) 

M Isothecium myosuroides 

var. myosuroides Native 

L Jamesoniella autumnalis Native 21 19 19 Widespread but scarce on decaying logs in humid woodland or on rocks, south-east to Monmouthshire (Wye Valley) 

L Jubula hutchinsiae Native 

L Jungermannia atrovirens Native 

L Jungermannia borealis VU D2 Native 5 5 14 S Southern edge in Brecknock, where locally frequent in Brecon Beacons (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

L Jungermannia exsertifolia Native 41 30 10 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire (Afon Rhymney) 

L Jungermannia pumila Native 

M Kiaeria blyttii Native 12 12 9 S Southern edge in Pembrokeshire (2 sites on Mynydd Preseli) 

M Kiaeria falcata EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 2 S Southern edge in Caernarfon, lost from Carnedd Llewellyn but extant on Snowdon (Hill, 1988) 

M Kindbergia praelonga Native 

L Kurzia pauciflora Native 

L Kurzia sylvatica Native 

L Kurzia trichoclados Native 

L Leiocolea badensis Native 

L Leiocolea bantriensis Native 

L Leiocolea collaris Native 24 21 9 S Southern edge in Glamorgan 

L Leiocolea fitzgeraldiae CR B Native 1 1 5 S Yes Southern edge in Caernarfon (Cwm Idwal 1988) 

L Leiocolea heterocolpos Native 11 9 16 S Southern edge in Brecon Beacons (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

L Leiocolea turbinata Native 

L Lejeunea cavifolia Native 

L Lejeunea lamacerina Native 

L Lejeunea patens Native 

L Lepidozia cupressina Native 

L Lepidozia pearsonii Native 29 17 7 S Southern edge in NE Carmarthenshire (Mynydd Mallaen area) 

L Lepidozia reptans Native 

M Leptobarbula berica Native 7 7 6 Recent records from 3 sites in Monmouthshire, 2 in Pembrokeshire & 3 in Carmarthenshire, half are on limestone and half on walls 

M Leptobryum pyriforme Native 

M Leptodictyum riparium Native 

M Leptodon smithii NT B Native S42 13 7 5 N Lost from Cumberland, so northern edge on Anglesey, lost from Meirionydd & sites in Caernarfon, Anglesey, Pembrokeshire (2) & Glamorgan (2) 

M Leptodontium flexifolium Native 

L Leptoscyphus cuneifolius VU D2 Native 2 2 2 S Yes Southern edge in Meirionydd (Coed y Rhygen & Coed Ganllwyd) 

M Leskea polycarpa Native 

M Leucobryum glaucum Native 

M Leucobryum juniperoideum Native 

M Leucodon sciuroides var. morensis VU D2 Native 1 1 13 Only Welsh record is from Pembrokeshire (Llanychaer 1973) 

M Leucodon sciuroides var. sciuroides Native 

M Loeskeobryum brevirostre Native 

L Lophocolea bidentata Native 

L Lophocolea fragrans Native 

L Lophocolea heterophylla Native 

L Lophocolea semiteres NA Neo 3 3 5 W Recently found at two sites in Pembrokeshire & one in Meirionydd, increasing in GB 

L Lophozia bicrenata Native 

L Lophozia excisa Native 

L Lophozia incisa Native

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



L Lophozia longidens RE Native >50% 2 0 0 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (3 sites), apparently last seen there at Cwm Bychan in 1966 (Hill, 1988) 

L Lophozia obtusa EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 3 S Lost from Meirionydd since 1916, now southern edge in Caernarfon where extant at 1 of 3 sites (Cwm Idwal; Hill, 1988) 

L Lophozia sudetica Native 

L Lophozia ventricosa Native 

VU DD L Lophozia wenzelii WL Native ?? ?? ?? Distribution uncertain following Bakalin (2004); identified by Bakalin from Radnorshire & Meirionydd and provisionally by SDS Bosanquet 

from Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire & Denbighshire, so potentially widespread 

L Lunularia cruciata Native 

L Marchantia polymorpha 

subsp. montivagans WL Native 8 5 8 An under-recorded but scarce subspecies of Marchantia polymorpha 


subsp. polymorpha Native 


subsp. ruderalis Native 

L Marchesinia mackaii Native 

L Marsupella adusta VU- B- Native 6 5 11 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Cadair Idris) 

L Marsupella alpina VU- B- Native 7 4 11 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Bwlch y Groes) 

L Marsupella emarginata var. aquatica Native 38 27 42 Probably under-recorded in much of Britain, especially Scotland 

L Marsupella emarginata 

var. emarginata Native 

L Marsupella emarginata var. pearsonii WL Native >50% 10 5 29 S Lost from Devon, now southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Cwm Doethie) 

L Marsupella funckii Native 

L Marsupella sphacelata VU- A-, B- Native >50% 4 1 2 One outlier in Devon, otherwise lost from Brecknock so southern edge in Meirionydd (Llyn yr Adar 1984), 1964 & 1967 records from 

Caernarfon (Aberglaslyn & Snowdon) not looked for since 

L Marsupella sprucei Native 

L Marsupella stableri EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 3 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Cadair Idris), lost from 2 of 3 Caernarfon sites (extant in Cwm Cneifion) 

M Meesia uliginosa CR B Native 1 1 2 S Southern edge on Anglesey (Tywyn Aberffraw) 

L Metzgeria conjugata Native 

L Metzgeria consanguinea Native 

L Metzgeria furcata Native 

L Metzgeria leptoneura Native 16 9 6 S Southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Cothi Gorge) 

L Metzgeria pubescens Native 10 8 4 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire (Lady Park Wood; Bosanquet, 2003) 

L Metzgeria violacea Native 

M Microbryum curvicollum Native 

M Microbryum davallianum DD Native 5 5 16 N Northern edge in Caernarfon, a Mediterranean-Atlantic taxon that was recognised as distinct again in 2008; also recorded in Pembrokeshire 

var. commutatum (3 hectads) & Carmarthenshire (1 site) 

M Microbryum davallianum 

var. davallianum Native 

M Microbryum floerkeanum VU D2 Native DD 3 2 2 W Western edge in Monmouthshire, where 2 sites, lost from Caernarfon 

M Microbryum rectum Native 

M Microbryum starckeanum Native 21 17 20 Scattered on lime-rich soil in the south and lead mine spoil in the north 

L Microlejeunea ulicina Native 

CR EN M Micromitrium tenerum CR B Native VU 1 1 25 N Northern edge on Anglesey, not seen at only Welsh site (Llyn Hendref; Hill, 1988) since sole record in 1971 

M Mnium hornum Native 

M Mnium marginatum DD Native 1 1 33 W Western edge in Denbighshire, only recorded once in Wales, but non-fertile M. marginatum on Monmouthshire river banks may also be var. 

var. dioicum dioicum 

M Mnium marginatum var. marginatum Native 

M Mnium stellare Native 

M Mnium thomsonii EN B Native 3 2 3 S Southern edge in Caernarfon (Cwmglas-mawr, Cwmglas-bach & Cwm Idwal) 

39

40 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



LC DD L Moerckia hibernica agg. Native 20 13 15 Most if not all records are Moerckia flotoviana, which is reasonably frequent in upland flushes in Carmarthenshire & Brecknock but has been 

lost from some southern dune systems 

M Molendoa warburgii EN B Native Rare 4 4 3 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Ceunant Cynfal) 

L Mylia anomala Native 

L Mylia taylorii Native 

NT NT M Myrinia pulvinata Native 10 8 28 Uncommon on the Severn, Wye and Usk and their tributaries 

M Myurella julacea RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Lost from Caernarfon (Snowdon 1912; Hill, 1988) 

L Nardia compressa Native 

L Nardia geoscyphus Native 

L Nardia scalaris Native 

M Neckera complanata Native 

M Neckera crispa Native 

M Neckera pumila Native 

L Nowellia curvifolia Native 

L Odontoschisma denudatum Native 

L Odontoschisma sphagni Native 

M Oedipodium griffithianum NT B Native 18 10 18 S Southern edge in Carmarthenshire, lost from Brecknock & a several sites in the north (TBDB) 

M Oligotrichum hercynicum Native 

VU VU M Orthodontium gracile RE Native EN >50% 1 0 0 Lost from Denbighshire & Flintshire (Nant y Ffrith; Hill, 1988, Porley & Matcham, 2003) and not refound in 2008 (SDSB pers. obs.) 

M Orthodontium lineare NA Neo 

M Orthothecium intricatum Native 

M Orthothecium rufescens VU- A-, B- Native >50% 4 2 2 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Cwm Tawe) (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008), rare in Snowdonia (Hill, 1988) in areas with poor recent recording 

M Orthotrichum affine Native 

M Orthotrichum anomalum Native 

M Orthotrichum cupulatum Native 

M Orthotrichum diaphanum Native 

M Orthotrichum lyellii Native 

VU NT M Orthotrichum obtusifolium VU D2 Native 1 1 9 W Western edge in Cardiganshire (Aberystwyth 2008), which is the only Welsh site 

M Orthotrichum pulchellum Native 

M Orthotrichum rivulare Native 

M Orthotrichum rupestre Native 

M Orthotrichum sprucei Native Rare 33 30 25 Common on the Severn, Wye and Usk and Tywi and their tributaries, also on the Dee, Conwy, Cleddaus, Taf and a few other rivers 

M Orthotrichum stramineum Native 

M Orthotrichum striatum Native 

M Orthotrichum tenellum Native 

M Oxyrrhynchium hians Native 

M Oxyrrhynchium pumilum Native 

M Oxyrrhynchium schleicheri Native 26 18 10 At least 27 sites in Monmouthshire, but otherwise rare in Wales 

M Oxyrrhynchium speciosum Native 

L Pallavicinia lyellii NT B Native S42 VU 11 6 22 Found at single new sites in Brecknock, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire & Meirionydd in last 10 years, in addition to 2 known 

sites in Meirionydd & 1 in Cardiganshire, but lost from 3 others in those two counties 

M Palustriella commutata Native 

M Palustriella falcata Native 

M Paraleptodontium recurvifolium EN A, B Native Rare >50% 5 1 2 S Southern edge in Meirionydd, lost from all but one (near Tal-y-llyn) north Wales sites (Hill, 1988) and perhaps now extinct 

L Pellia endiviifolia Native 

L Pellia epiphylla Native 

L Pellia neesiana Native

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



L Petalophyllum ralfsii Native VU 17 16 55 Brownslade Burrows population is larger than all others in GB combined, recorded from 19 sites in Wales and extant in at least 17 but lost 

from Morfa Bychan & Tywyn Burrows, apparently increasing in south-west England (Holyoak, 2002) 

NT NT H Phaeoceros carolinianus Arch? 6 5 29 Less rare than previously thought (Blackstock & Bosanquet, 2004), with 6 extant sites in Monmouthshire and specimens from Cardiganshire 

(Llanfarian, 1920), Carmarthenshire (Llandinio, 1981) and Pembrokeshire (Llan-mill, 2006) 

H Phaeoceros laevis Native 

M Phascum cuspidatum var. cuspidatum Native 

M Phascum cuspidatum var. papillosum WL Native >50% 1 0 0 Lost from Caernarfon, but taxonomically dubious 

M Phascum cuspidatum var. piliferum Native 8 7 11 Very scattered around the Welsh coast 

M Philonotis arnellii Native 40 32 36 

M Philonotis caespitosa Native 31 18 23 

M Philonotis calcarea Native 

CR RE M Philonotis cernua EX Native Rare >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Lost from Meirionydd (Cwm Bychan to 1939; Hill, 1988) and last seen in Britain in 1960, so perhaps almost extinct in Europe 

M Philonotis fontana Native 

M Philonotis rigida EN A Native >50% 13 6 35 E Eastern edge in Radnorshire (Water-break-its-neck 1965), the most inland locality in GB; rare on the north Wales coast (Hill, 1988) and at one 

site in Pembrokeshire (near Ceibwr Bay) 

M Philonotis seriata RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Southern edge in Caernarfon (Carneddau; Hill, 1988), lost from 1 or perhaps both sites 

LC NT M Philonotis tomentella CR B Native 1 1 6 S Southern edge in Caernarfon (Moel Hebog; Hill, 1988) 

M Physcomitrium pyriforme Native 

NT LC M Physcomitrium sphaericum VU D2 Native Rare 2 2 11 S Lost from SE England, southern edge now in Carmarthenshire (Lower Lliedi Reservoir), also in Brecknock (Pontsticill Reservoir) (Motley & 

Bosanquet, 2005) 

M Plagiobryum zieri Native 36 29 13 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire/Glamorgan 

L Plagiochila asplenioides Native 

L Plagiochila bifaria Native 

L Plagiochila britannica Native 

L Plagiochila exigua Native 18 13 6 S Southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Brechfa Forest) 

L Plagiochila heterophylla VU D2 Native Rare 4 4 6 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Cwm Rheidol Bryn Bras section & Cwm Einion) 

L Plagiochila porelloides Native 

L Plagiochila punctata Native 

L Plagiochila spinulosa Native 

M Plagiomnium affine Native 

M Plagiomnium cuspidatum Native 

M Plagiomnium elatum Native 

M Plagiomnium ellipticum Native 

M Plagiomnium rostratum Native 

M Plagiomnium undulatum Native 

M Plagiopus oederianus Native 22 14 18 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire (Blorenge) 

M Plagiothecium cavifolium Native 

M Plagiothecium curvifolium Native 

M Plagiothecium denticulatum Native 

var. denticulatum 

M Plagiothecium denticulatum Native 13 9 10 Occasional in Brecon Beacons (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008); rare in north Wales (Hill, 1988) 

var. obtusifolium 

M Plagiothecium laetum Native 20 19 16 Widespread in the north and probably under-recorded in the south; sometimes confused with P. curvifolium 

M Plagiothecium latebricola Native 

M Plagiothecium nemorale Native 

M Plagiothecium platyphyllum EN B Native 2 2 9 S Southern edge in Caernarfon (2 sites; Hill, 1988) 

M Plagiothecium succulentum Native 

M Plagiothecium undulatum Native 

41

42 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



M Plasteurhynchium striatulum Native 21 18 31 Frequent on shaded carboniferous limestone 

M Platydictya jungermannioides Native 11 6 10 Scattered under overhangs in calcareous sandstone or limestone 

M Platygyrium repens Native 8 8 8 W Western edge in Denbighshire (River Elwy 1972; Hill, 1988), still rare in Monmouthshire (5 sites) & Brecknock (1 site) but found frequently on 

English side of the border (M. Lawley & R. Lansdown pers. comm.) and perhaps increasing 

M Platyhypnidium lusitanicum Native 37 27 37 Locally frequent in north and mid Wales south to Carmarthenshire; probably lost from Monmouthshire (Cleddon Shoots) 

M Platyhypnidium riparioides Native 

M Pleuridium acuminatum Native 

M Pleuridium subulatum Native 

M Pleurochaete squarrosa Native 

M Pleurozium schreberi Native 

M Pogonatum aloides Native 

M Pogonatum nanum Native 

M Pogonatum urnigerum Native 

M Pohlia annotina Native 

M Pohlia bulbifera Native 

M Pohlia camptotrachela Native 

M Pohlia cruda Native 

M Pohlia drummondii Native 

M Pohlia elongata var. elongata Native 

M Pohlia elongata var. greenii EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 4 S Southern edge in Caernarfon, lost from 1 of 2 sites, extant in Cwm Idwal 

M Pohlia filum EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 2 Lost from Carmarthenshire (Foel Fawr 1965; Bosanquet et al., 2005) but recently found in Radnorshire (Garreg-ddu Reservoir 2006) 

M Pohlia flexuosa Native 21 17 18 Occasional in north Wales (Hill, 1988), mid Wales and Brecon Beacons (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) and south to Glamorgan (Craig y Llyn) 

M Pohlia lescuriana Native 

M Pohlia ludwigii EN A, B Native >50% 3 1 2 S Southern edge now in Caernarfon (Cwm Dyli/Llyn Bochlwyd), lost from Meirionydd and from Cwm Idwal & Carnedd Llewelyn 

M Pohlia lutescens Native 

M Pohlia melanodon Native 

M Pohlia nutans Native 

M Pohlia proligera DD Native 1 1 5 S Southern edge in Denbighshire, but taxonomically confused and equivocal plants more widespread on mine spoil 

M Pohlia wahlenbergii var. glacialis CR B Native 1 1 2 S Southern edge in Caernarfon 

M Pohlia wahlenbergii var. wahlenbergii Native 

M Polytrichastrum alpinum Native 

M Polytrichastrum formosum Native 

M Polytrichastrum longisetum Native 

M Polytrichum commune var. commune Native 

M Polytrichum commune var. perigoniale Native 18 17 52 Recently recognised widely in west Wales on forestry tracks and clearly under-recorded 

M Polytrichum juniperinum Native 

M Polytrichum piliferum Native 

M Polytrichum strictum Native 

L Porella arboris-vitae Native 

L Porella cordaeana Native 

L Porella obtusata Native 

L Porella pinnata Native 43 40 59 One outlier in Westmorland, otherwise northern edge in Caernarfon; British headquarters is SW Wales and SW England 

L Porella platyphylla Native 

M Pottiopsis caespitosa VU D2 Native 1 1 3 N Northern edge in Caernarfon (Great Orme's Head; Hodgetts, 2003b), only Welsh site 

L Preissia quadrata Native 

M Pseudephemerum nitidum Native 

M Pseudobryum cinclidioides Native 11 9 17 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Llyn Eiddwen) 

LC NT M Pseudocalliergon lycopodioides EN B Native RT 5 3 10 Extant in Glamorgan (Kenfig) & Anglesey (Newborough), lost from Pembrokeshire (Bosanquet, 2010)

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



M Pseudocrossidium hornschuchianum Native 

M Pseudocrossidium revolutum Native 

M Pseudoleskeella catenulata RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Southern edge in Caernarfon (Carneddau; Hill, 1988) 

M Pseudoscleropodium purum Native 

M Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans Native 

M Pterigynandrum filiforme RE Native >50% 2 0 0 S Lost from Caernarfon (3 sites, last in 1928; Hill, 1988) & Brecknock (Sennybridge 1907) 

M Pterogonium gracile Native 

M Pterygoneurum ovatum RE Native >50% 3 0 0 Extinct by 1830 (Hill, 1988) and declining rapidly in England 

L Ptilidium ciliare Native 

L Ptilidium pulcherrimum Native 29 19 8 Uncommon and usually in small quantity in east Wales, probably just a casual 

M Ptilium crista-castrensis Native 9 7 3 Apart from possibly introduced plants in East Anglia and Gloucestershire, southern edge in Montgomeryshire 

M Ptychomitrium polyphyllum Native 

M Pylaisia polyantha Native 11 9 15 W Western edge in Meirionydd, lost from Anglesey but recently found at several new sites in Monmouthshire 

M Racomitrium aciculare Native 

M Racomitrium affine Native 

M Racomitrium aquaticum Native 

M Racomitrium canescens Native 9 6 13 True R. canescens is restricted to calcareous dunes and limestone hills 

M Racomitrium ellipticum Native 12 9 5 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Cadair Idris) 

M Racomitrium elongatum Native 

M Racomitrium ericoides Native 

M Racomitrium fasciculare Native 

M Racomitrium heterostichum Native 

M Racomitrium lanuginosum Native 

NT LC M Racomitrium macounii VU- A-, B- Native >50% 7 3 17 S Southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Afon Tywi, Dinas RSPB; Bosanquet et al., 2005), also in Brecknock (Nant Irfon; Woods, 2006) and recently 

at 1 site in north Wales (Afon Tryweryn) but only old records from 5 others 

M Racomitrium sudeticum Native 

L Radula aquilegia VU- A-, B- Native >50% 11 4 2 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Cwm Rheidol), desperate lack of recent records from north Wales but perhaps because it is too frequent to 

note specifically 

L Radula complanata Native 

L Radula lindenbergiana Native 

L Radula voluta EN B Native Rare 8 5 22 S Southern edge in Meirionydd; Hill (1988) reports 11 sites, some of which have been relocated by ME Newton and ABG Averis; Hydroelectric 

power schemes are thought to be a particular threat to this hygrophilous species. 

L Reboulia hemisphaerica Native 

M Rhabdoweisia crenulata Native 30 20 18 S Southern edge in Glamorgan (Craig y Llyn) 

M Rhabdoweisia crispata Native 

M Rhabdoweisia fugax Native 

M Rhizomnium pseudopunctatum Native 

M Rhizomnium punctatum Native 

M Rhodobryum roseum Native 

M Rhynchostegiella curviseta RE Native >50% 2 0 0 Lost from Monmouthshire (Llanthony Valley pre-1920, Tintern 1925; Bosanquet, 2003) 

M Rhynchostegiella tenella Native 

M Rhynchostegiella teneriffae Native 

M Rhynchostegium confertum Native 

M Rhynchostegium megapolitanum Native 

M Rhynchostegium murale Native 

M Rhytidiadelphus loreus Native 

M Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus Native 

43

44 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



EN NT M Rhytidiadelphus subpinnatus Native S42 10 8 73 S Southern edge in Brecknock/Glamorgan (Nedd & Mellte), also in Carmarthenshire (2 extant sites) and Meirionydd (2 extant sites), most recent 

British records are from Wales 

M Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus Native 

M Rhytidium rugosum EN A, B Native >50% 3 1 2 Very rare in Snowdonia (Hill, 1988) with records from Moel Hebog (to 1979), Cwmglas-mawr (1960) and Craig yr ysfa (1946) 

L Riccardia chamedryfolia Native 

L Riccardia incurvata Native 

L Riccardia latifrons Native 

L Riccardia multifida Native 

L Riccardia palmata Native 

L Riccia beyrichiana Native 23 21 28 Widespread on the coast, especially on Llyn and near St David's; more scattered inland 

VU VU L Riccia canaliculata EN A, B Native S42 >50% 3 1 10 Lost from 2 of 3 north Wales sites, last seen near Beaumaris in 1972 and not refound during several recent searches (TH Blackstock pers. 

comm., 2010) 

L Riccia cavernosa Native 14 10 10 By reservoirs in Monmouthshire and in dune pools in west Wales and north Wales 

L Riccia crozalsii EN A, B Native >50% 6 3 11 N Northern world edge on Anglesey, lost from 4 of 6 north Wales sites but recently found new to Pembrokeshire (Ramsey & Skokholm) 

L Riccia fluitans Native 21 19 8 W Western edge in Carmarthenshire (near Whitland) 

L Riccia glauca Native 

L Riccia huebeneriana Native Rare 9 7 26 No significant decline in Wales, locally abundant on 7 reservoirs in Brecknock and 1 in Carmarthenshire (Motley & Bosanquet, 2005), also on 

the Afon Teifi and Lake Vyrnwy, although perhaps lost from Anglesey (Llyn Llywenan 1952; Hill, 1988) and 1 site in Carmarthenshire (Talley 

Lakes 1907) 

EN EN L Riccia nigrella EN B Native S42 3 2 40 N Northern world edge in Meirionydd, status in Barmouth and at Harlech Castle needs to be ascertained, secure in Radnorshire (Stanner Rocks) 

L Riccia sorocarpa Native 

L Riccia subbifurca Native 

L Ricciocarpos natans EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 1 W Western edge in Denbighshire (Wrexham ponds), now only extant Welsh site if still present (Hill, 1988), lost from Monmouthshire (Magor) 

L Saccogyna viticulosa Native 

M Sanionia uncinata Native 

M Sarmentypnum exannulatum Native 

M Sarmentypnum sarmentosum Native 

L Scapania aequiloba Native 9 8 7 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire/Brecknock (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

L Scapania aspera Native 

L Scapania calcicola CR B Native >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Southern edge in Brecknock where not looked for since 1965 (Woods, 2006), outlying from Perthshire 

L Scapania compacta Native 

L Scapania cuspiduligera Native 10 6 14 S Southern edge in Glamorgan (Mumbles Head 1969), in at least 12 sites in limestone hills of Monmouthshire, Brecknock & Carmarthenshire 

L Scapania gracilis Native 

NT NT L Scapania gymnostomophila EN B Native 2 2 14 S Yes Southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Bannau Sir Gaer), also in Caernarfon (Cwmglas-bach) 

L Scapania irrigua Native 

L Scapania lingulata Native 6 6 25 S Southern edge in Brecknock/Pembrokeshire, scattered upland and coastal sites 

L Scapania nemorea Native 

L Scapania nimbosa RE Native Rare >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Lost from Caernarfon (Cwm Cneifion 1909; Hill, 1988), now southern edge in South Ebudes 

L Scapania ornithopodioides EN B Native 2 2 2 S Southern edge in Caernarfon (Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, Cwm Idwal & Ysgolion Duon; Hill, 1988) 

NT LC L Scapania paludicola Native 17 17 89 Very high proportion of British records come from neutral or acid mires in mid Wales, where new sites continue to be discovered 

L Scapania paludosa EN B Native 2 2 10 S Southern edge in Meirionydd (Llyn Cwmorthin), also in Caernarfon (Nant Ffrancon) 

L Scapania scandica Native 

L Scapania subalpina Native 

L Scapania uliginosa EN B Native 5 5 6 One outlier in Black Mountains of Herefordshire, otherwise southern edge in Cardiganshire (Pumlimon) 

L Scapania umbrosa Native 

L Scapania undulata Native 

M Schistidium agassizii VU D2 Native 4 3 19 S Southern edge in Meirionydd 

M Schistidium apocarpum Native

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



M Schistidium confertum WL Native 7 5 26 S Lost from Devon, southern edge now in Radnorshire (south of Abbey Cwmhir 1966; Rothero, 2004) or Cardiganshire (Cwmystwyth 2004) 

M Schistidium crassipilum Native 

DD LC M Schistidium elegantulum WL Native 4 3 13 Poorly recorded in Britain, hence south Wales biased distribution of combined elegantulum & wilsonii; widespread on concrete 

DD VU M Schistidium flaccidum CR B Native >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Southern edge in Caernarfon (Llyn d'ur Arddu 1967; Townsend, 1997), 1 of only 2 known GB sites, the other being on Mull 

NE NT M Schistidium frigidum var. frigidum DD Native >50% 4 2 18 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Craig Cerrig Gleisiad 1999; Rothero, 2004; Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

NE NT M Schistidium frigidum var. havaasii DD Native >50% 2 0 0 S Yes Southern edge in Caernarfon (Cwm Dyli & Clogwyn d'ur Arddu; Townsend, 1997; Rothero, 2004) 

NE DD M Schistidium helveticum DD Native 1 1 50 S Yes Southern edge in Montgomeryshire (Breidden Hill), recently discovered new to the UK in Scotland and too poorly known to evaluate 

M Schistidium maritimum Native 

NT NT M Schistidium papillosum DD Native DD 2 2 22 S Yes Southern edge in Brecknock (Craig Cerrig Gleisiad 1999; Rothero, 2004), although identification questionable (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008) 

M Schistidium platyphyllum Native 

M Schistidium pruinosum VU D2 Native 3 3 14 S Southern edge in Radnorshire (Rock Dingle & Stanner), where collected in 2008, also found in Montgomeryshire (Breidden Hill) in 2009 

M Schistidium rivulare Native 

M Schistidium robustum WL Native 2 2 5 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Rothero, 2004), where scattered around Craig y Cilau, also in Denbighshire (World's End) 

M Schistidium strictum Native 

M Schistidium trichodon CR- B Native DD >50% 1 0 0 S Southern edge was Caernarfon, now perhaps extinct but downgraded to CR- because of identification difficulties peculiar to Schistidium 

(Clogwyn du'r Arddu 1907; Hill, 1988) 

M Schistostega pennata Native 

M Sciuro-hypnum plumosum Native 

M Sciuro-hypnum populeum Native 

M Scleropodium cespitans Native 

M Scleropodium touretii Native 

VU VU M Scopelophila cataractae EN B Arch? S42 3 3 29 At three vulnerable metal-toxic sites in Glamorgan (Llansamlet), Cardiganshire (Pontrhydygroes) and Caernarfon (Abersoch) 

M Scorpidium cossonii Native 

M Scorpidium revolvens Native 

M Scorpidium scorpioides Native 

M Scorpiurium circinatum Native 27 20 15 N Northern edge on Anglesey (several sites) 

M Seligeria acutifolia Native 12 9 23 Reasonably common on upland limestone in south Wales 

VU VU M Seligeria brevifolia CR B Native DD 1 1 25 S Southern edge in Caernarfon (Cwmglas-mawr; Hill, 1988), only Welsh site 

VU NT M Seligeria campylopoda VU D2 Native DD 5 5 71 N Northern edge in Monmouthshire, core of GB population is in Wye Valley (Blockeel et al., 2000) where 6 populations exist in Monmouthshire, 

there are also 2 outliers in north-west Monmouthshire 

M Seligeria donniana Native 8 6 5 Occasional on upland limestone in south Wales; rare further north 

NE VU M Seligeria oelandica VU D2 Native DD 1 1 100 E Recently found in Brecknock (Craig y Cilau NNR 2009), otherwise known in UK only from one site in Fermanagh. 

DD DD M Seligeria patula VU D2 Native DD 1 1 5 Southern edge in Monmouthshire (Blorenge SSSI), also in Brecknock (Craig y Cilau NNR) but not looked for recently at 2nd Brecknock site 

(Tarren yr Esgob 1965; Woods, 2006), probably all 'S. trifaria' is S. patula 

M Seligeria pusilla Native 18 10 9 Slightly more widespread than S. acutifolia but often growing with it 

M Seligeria recurvata Native 

VU VU M Sematophyllum demissum VU D2 Native Rare 5 4 100 E Entire GB population is in north Wales, most populations are small and very vulnerable except for the one at Coed Ganllwyd 

NT NT M Sematophyllum substrumulosum VU D2 Native 2 2 25 N Northern edge in Pembrokeshire (Amroth & Stackpole), where only 2 Welsh colonies 

VU VU L Solenostoma caespiticium EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 8 Records from 1965 & 1972 from Radnorshire are only ones in Wales 

L Solenostoma confertissimum RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Southern edge in Carmarthenshire (Foel Fawr 1965; Bosanquet et al., 2005) where only Welsh site, not refound on several recent visits 

L Solenostoma gracillimum Native 

L Solenostoma hyalinum Native 

L Solenostoma obovatum Native 40 24 8 S Southern edge in Glamorgan (Cwm Clydach) 

L Solenostoma paroicum Native RT 

L Solenostoma sphaerocarpum Native 

L Solenostoma subellipticum VU- B- Native 7 5 6 Occasional in the Brecon Beacons (Bosanquet & Motley, 2008), very rare in Snowdonia (Hill, 1988) 

45

46 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



VU VU L Southbya tophacea Native 6 6 75 N Northern world edge in Flintshire (Ddol 1973; Hill, 1988), if still extant, otherwise on Anglesey (Tywyn Aberffraw, to 2004 at least), also 2 sites 

in Pembrokeshire & 1 in Glamorgan 

M Sphagnum affine Native 10 10 17 S Southern edge in Meirionydd, occasional in north Wales (Hill, 1988) 

M Sphagnum angustifolium Native 27 26 27 Widespread and probably still under-recorded 

M Sphagnum austinii VU D2 Native 4 4 4 Present in Cardiganshire (Cors Fochno), Meirionydd (Cors Goch, Trawsfynydd 

EN EN M Sphagnum balticum EN A, B Native >50% 2 1 14 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire; not seen during recent searches at main site (Cors Caron 1967; Hale, 1998), but new colony discovered in 

2009 (Cors Craig y Bwlch) 

M Sphagnum capillifolium 

subsp. capillifolium Native 12 12 63 Poorly understood, either locally frequent on bogs (SDSB pers. obs.) or very rare (M.O. Hill pers. comm.) 

M Sphagnum capillifolium 

subsp. rubellum Native 

M Sphagnum compactum Native 

M Sphagnum contortum Native 

M Sphagnum cuspidatum Native 

M Sphagnum denticulatum Native 

M Sphagnum fallax Native 

M Sphagnum fimbriatum Native 

M Sphagnum flexuosum Native 

M Sphagnum fuscum EN B Native 3 3 1 Present in Cardiganshire (Cors Fochno), Meirionydd (Cors Goch, Trawsfynydd) 

M Sphagnum girgensohnii Native 

M Sphagnum inundatum Native 

M Sphagnum magellanicum Native 

M Sphagnum molle Native 

M Sphagnum palustre var. centrale DD Native 1 1 33 Very poorly understood and probably not as rare as the single Welsh record suggests 

M Sphagnum palustre var. palustre Native 

M Sphagnum papillosum Native 

M Sphagnum platyphyllum Native 20 19 40 S Southern edge in Pembrokeshire, where locally frequent (15+ sites around Mynydd Preseli) 

M Sphagnum pulchrum VU D2 Native 5 5 16 Present in Cardiganshire (Cors Fochno & Cors Caron), Montgomeryshire (Cors Dyfi) 

M Sphagnum quinquefarium Native 

M Sphagnum riparium VU D2 Native 1 1 4 Only Welsh site is on Anglesey (Jones et al., 2006), perhaps lost from Berkshire 

M Sphagnum russowii Native 

NT NT M Sphagnum skyense DD Native DD 1 1 8 S Yes Southern world edge in Cardiganshire (Bryn Bras), but likely to be found in Snowdonia if looked for 

M Sphagnum squarrosum Native 

M Sphagnum strictum RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Southern edge was in Meirionydd (Bwych Tydiad, Rhinogs; Hill, 1988) but not looked for recently, disjunct from Kircudbrightshire 

M Sphagnum subnitens var. subnitens Native 

M Sphagnum subsecundum Native 28 21 28 Very uncommon at scattered sites, perhaps commonest in Cardiganshire (Llyn Eiddwen) and Caernarfon (Cors Graianog) 

M Sphagnum tenellum Native 

M Sphagnum teres Native 

M Sphagnum warnstorfii Native 33 29 17 S Southern edge in Brecknock 

L Sphenolobopsis pearsonii Native Rare 16 12 13 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Waterfalls area) 

M Splachnum ampullaceum EN A Native >50% 36 18 10 Lost from Carmarthenshire and various sites in most other vice-counties because of decline in cattle grazing on wetlands 

M Splachnum sphaericum Native 

M Straminergon stramineum Native 

M Syntrichia laevipila Native 

M Syntrichia latifolia Native 

M Syntrichia montana Native 

M Syntrichia papillosa Native

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



LC NT M Syntrichia princeps VU D2 Native 1 1 5 Only Welsh population on Moel Hebog appears stable (SDSB pers. obs., 2003) 

M Syntrichia ruralis var. ruraliformis Native 

M Syntrichia ruralis var. ruralis Native 

M Syntrichia virescens Native 7 7 4 W Western edge in Pembrokeshire (Milford Haven) 

L Targionia hypophylla NT B Arch? 17 12 26 Lost from one site in Carmarthenshire and present in tiny quantity at other S Wales sites; slightly commoner in east Wales (eg Stanner 

Rocks); widely scattered in sunny sites on Llyn and Anglesey 

M Taxiphyllum wissgrillii Native 

M Tetraphis pellucida Native 

M Tetraplodon angustatus RE Native >50% 1 0 0 S Yes Lost from Caernarfon (Snowdon, 1899; Hill, 1988), now southern edge in Perthshire 

M Tetraplodon mnioides Native 

M Tetrodontium brownianum Native 

M Thamnobryum alopecurum Native 

M Thuidium assimile Native 

M Thuidium delicatulum Native 

M Thuidium recognitum VU- B- Native 6 4 11 On limestone pavement in several places in north-east Wales (Hill, 1988) and at one in Monmouthshire (Great Barnets Woods) 

M Thuidium tamariscinum Native 

LC VU M Tomentypnum nitens NT B Native 7 4 7 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Hen-draws); lost from several north Wales sites (K. Birch pers. comm.) 

M Tortella bambergeri Native 21 19 51 S Southern edge in Monmouthshire (Bosanquet, 2006a), recently recognised in Britain and certainly under-recorded 

M Tortella densa VU D2 Native 1 1 4 Only recorded on Great Orme's Head (Hodgetts, 2003b) 

M Tortella flavovirens Native 

M Tortella inclinata NT B Native 13 10 29 Lost from several sites in south Wales but still present in Glamorgan (Pennard Burrows), as well as on Anglesey (Tywyn Aberffraw, 

Newborough, Cors Goch; Hill, 1988) and Meirionydd (Morfa Dyffryn, Morfa Harlech; Hill, 1988) 

M Tortella nitida Native 

M Tortella tortuosa Native 

M Tortula atrovirens Native 31 22 28 Locally common on the Pembrokeshire coast, on Llyn and Anglesey 

M Tortula canescens EN A, B Native >50% 6 2 11 One outlier in Kintyre, otherwise northern edge in Meirionydd where extant at one site (near Harlech), lost from Pembrokeshire & Radnorshire 

but presumably still on Roundton Hill 

EN EN M Tortula cuneifolia EN A, B Native S42 >50% 5 2 14 N Northern edge in Caernarfon (Bardsey), lost from Pembrokeshire & Anglesey, otherwise only extant at one site in Meirionydd (near Harlech) 

M Tortula lanceola Native 

M Tortula marginata Native 

M Tortula modica Native 

M Tortula muralis Native 

M Tortula protobryoides Native 15 11 6 W Western edge in Pembrokeshire (Castlemartin Range) 

M Tortula schimperi DD Native >50% 1 0 0 No specimen backs up Monmouthshire record of var. angustata (Black Mountains 19th century), no Welsh specimens of T. schimperi located 

by Smith (2008) 

M Tortula subulata Native 

M Tortula truncata Native 

M Tortula viridifolia Native 

EN VU M Tortula wilsonii EN A, B Native S42 >50% 18 4 15 N Dramatic decline, northern limit may now be in Pembrokeshire, where 3 colonies remain, but status in Meirionydd (nr Aberdovey 1974; 

TBDB) needs to be ascertained 

L Trichocolea tomentella Native 

M Trichodon cylindricus Native 

M Trichostomum brachydontium Native 

M Trichostomum crispulum Native 

M Trichostomum tenuirostre Native 

L Tritomaria exsecta Native 15 9 8 S Southern edge in Brecknock (Pen y Cae; Woods 2006), apparently lost from Monmouthshire 

L Tritomaria exsectiformis Native 

47

48 

Comments 










Criteria 


Taxon 

MLH 



L Tritomaria quinquedentata Native 

M Ulota bruchii Native 

M Ulota calvescens EN A, B Native >50% 3 1 1 E Eastern edge was in Meirionydd, but not recorded there since 1970; only recent record was a casual colony in Pembrokeshire (Lamphey) 

M Ulota coarctata RE Native RT >50% 2 0 0 Lost from Meirionydd (3 sites; Hill, 1988) 

M Ulota crispa Native 

M Ulota drummondii Native 11 8 3 S Southern edge in Cardiganshire (Cwm Mwyro) 

M Ulota hutchinsiae EN A, B Native >50% 11 4 2 Lost from Carmarthenshire, rare in north Wales (Hill, 1988), perhaps genuinely declining 

M Ulota phyllantha Native 

M Warnstorfia fluitans Native 

M Weissia brachycarpa var. brachycarpa Native 9 8 10 Probably much commoner in arable fields and on road verges than the few records suggest 

M Weissia brachycarpa var. obliqua Native 

M Weissia controversa var. controversa Native 

M Weissia controversa var. crispata Native 12 11 39 Very common on the south Wales coastal limestone 

M Weissia controversa var. densifolia Native 34 33 45 Probably widespread under dripping metal roofs, crash barriers etc; officially only on lead mines, but ubiquitous on them 

EN EN M Weissia levieri EN B Native S42 Rare 2 2 40 N Northern world edge in Glamorgan (Gower), where still locally frequent (Bosanquet, 2008a) 

M Weissia longifolia var. angustifolia Native 

M Weissia longifolia var. longifolia Native 

CR CR M Weissia multicapsularis CR B Native EN 1 1 8 N Northern edge was Monmouthshire, where last seen in 1981, now restricted to Cornwall 

M Weissia perssonii Native Rare 28 28 29 Common on the coast and not threatened at all 

M Weissia rostellata Native Rare 8 8 19 W Western edge in Pembrokeshire (Red Hill & Llys y Fran Reservoir), not seen recently on Anglesey (Llyn Alaw 1988 & Cefni Reservoir 1971) or 

Cardiganshire (Llechryd 1995) but extant in Carmarthenshire (Glan Myddyfi) & Monmouthshire (Dingestow & Wentwood Reservoir) 

M Weissia rutilans Native 

VU NT M Weissia squarrosa VU D2 Arch? S42 Rare 4 3 12 W Western edge in Pembrokeshire (2 sites), largest known GB colony is in Monmouthshire (Bosanquet & Preston, 2005), but species is likely to 

be under-recorded 

VU NT M Weissia sterilis VU D2 Native Rare 1 1 3 N Northern edge in Montgomeryshire (Roundton Hill 1975; TBDB) status needs to be assessed at its only Welsh site 

M Zygodon conoideus var. conoideus Native 

M Zygodon rupestris Native 

M Zygodon viridissimus var. stirtonii Native 

M Zygodon viridissimus var. viridissimus Native

9. Excluded taxa 

Six taxa that are thought to be neophytes in Wales have been excluded from the analysis, 

as have 19 varieties and four species recognised in the 1998 Census Catalogue but 

excluded from the 2008 equivalent. They are all given the IUCN category of Not Applicable 

(NA) for the purpose of this study. Several of the varieties would qualify as threatened if 

they were shown to be taxonomically valid because of declines (4 taxa), apparent regional 

extinction (7 taxa), or restricted ranges (2 taxa); they are marked * below. In some cases 

the apparent extinction is because recent recorders have ignored the taxon, but some of 

them are likely to be genuinely rare. Two of the neophytes, marked # below, are rare in 

Wales and would qualify as Vulnerable if proven to be native. 


Taxon Wales Red Reason(s) for exclusion 

Data List 

Atrichum crispum NA Neophyte 

Campylopus introflexus NA Neophyte 

Didymodon umbrosus# NA Neophyte 

Hennediella stanfordensis NA Neophyte 

Lophocolea semiteres# NA Neophyte 

Orthodontium lineare NA Neophyte 

Bryum capillare var. rufifolium* NA Synonymous with var. capillare 

Bryum neodamense* NA Synonymous with B. pseudotriquetrum 

Campylopus atrovirens var. gracilis* NA Synonymous with var. atrovirens 

Campylopus pyriformis var. azoricus NA Synonymous with var. pyriformis 

Ctenidium molluscum var. fastigiatum* NA Synonymous with var. molluscum 

Ditrichum zonatum var. scabrifolium NA Synonymous with var. zonatum 

Fissidens exiguus* NA Synonymous with F. pusillus 

Fontinalis antipyretica var. gigantea NA Synonymous with var. antipyretica 

Fontinalis squamosa var. dixonii* NA Synonymous with var. squamosa 

Fossombronia caespitiformis s.str.* NA F. husnotii now synonymous with F. caespitiformis so latter is not 

threatened 

Grimmia pulvinata var. africana* NA Synonymous with var. pulvinata 

Hygrohypnum luridum var. subsphaericarpon* NA Synonymous with var. luridum 

Hypnum lacunosum var. tectorum NA Synonymous with H. cupressiforme 

Orthotrichum cupulatum var. riparium NA Synonymous with var. cupulatum 

Plagiothecium ruthei NA Synonymous with P. denticulatum 

Polytrichum commune var. humile* NA Synonymous with var. perigoniale 

Pterigynandrum filiforme var. majus* NA Synonymous with var. filiforme 

Schistidium elegantulum subsp. wilsonii NA Synonymous with var. elegantulum 

Tortella flavovirens var. glareicola NA Synonymous with var. flavovirens 

Tortula muralis var. aestiva NA Synonymous with var. muralis 

Tortula subulata var. graeffii NA Synonymous with var. subulata 

Tortula subulata var. subinermis* NA Synonymous with var. subulata 

Trichostomum tenuirostre var. holtii* NA Synonymous with var. tenuirostre 

49


50 

10. Acknowledgements 

Thanks go to the British Bryological Society vice-county recorders: 35 & 45 Sam 

Bosanquet; 41 Roy Perry; 42 & 43 Ray Woods; 44 Graham Motley; 46 Alan Hale; 47-52 Tim 

Blackstock. Records from all of them, as well as other active Welsh recorders, helped in the 

development of this Red Data List. Chris Preston at the Biological Records Centre (BRC) 

supplied hectad counts for Wales almost as soon as requested and modified these counts 

where necessary to take account of taxonomic splits and other changes. Mark Hill at BRC 

has been critically checking records for many years and was instrumental in documenting 

the rich bryophyte flora of north Wales.

11. References 

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in Berkshire and Caernarvonshire, new to Britain. J. Bryol. 29: 228–234. 

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Blom, H.H. (1996), A revision of the Schistidium apocarpum complex in Norway and 

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and Irish Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts. NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, 

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committee members. 

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Summary 

This report assesses the threats to those Welsh plants that belong to three 

groups: mosses, liverworts and hornworts, collectively known as bryophytes. 

Despite their relatively small size, these plants play a critical role in Welsh 

ecosystems – especially water regulation and nutrient cycling – as well as 

imparting the ‘mossy’ appearance so characteristic of the Welsh uplands, 

woodlands and wetlands. 

Wales supports, or has supported, almost three quarters of the 1110 British bryophyte 

species, but many of our 811 species are under threat of extinction. Habitat loss and 

degradation are still the most significant threats, enhanced by exceptionally high 

nutrient levels in the general environment and ongoing climate change. Already, 26 

mosses and liverworts (3%) are believed to have been lost from Wales in the last 150 

years, many of them from Snowdonia. Another 173 have shown such significant 

declines, and/or have such restricted ranges that they are threatened with extinction – 

18 (2%) are Critically Endangered, 64 (8%) are Endangered, 64 (8%) are Vulnerable, 12 

(1%) are Near Threatened, and 15 (2%) are thought to be threatened but lack 

sufficient information for a full assessment. 

Thus, 34% of the Welsh bryophyte flora requires action to safeguard it for the future, 

or to understand its true status. This figure is the same as that for Great Britain as a 

whole, but is made up of a different selection of species reflecting regional priorities. 

It is hoped that identifying mosses and liverworts that are specifically threatened in 

Wales will help with prioritising future conservation actions and will highlight those 

plants that most urgently need protection. 

Crynodeb 

Mae’r adroddiad hwn yn asesu’r bygythiadau sy’n wynebu’r planhigion Cymreig 

sy’n perthyn i dri grŵp; Mwsoglau, Llysiau Afu a Chyrnddail. Gyda’i gilydd, 

adwaenir y grwpiau hyn fel Bryoffytau. Er eu bod yn blanhigion cymharol fychan 

maen nhw’n rhan allweddol o ecosystemau Cymru – yn enwedig o ran rheoleiddio 

dŵr a chylchu maetholion. Maen nhw hefyd yn creu’r naws ‘fwsoglaidd’ sydd mor 

nodweddiadol o ucheldiroedd, coedwigoedd a gwlyptiroedd Cymru. 

Mae Cymru yn cynnal, neu wedi cynnal, bron i dri chwarter o’r 1110 o rywogaethgau o 

fryoffytau sydd i’w cael ledled Prydain. Ond mae nifer fawr o’r 811 rhywogaeth sydd 

gennym yma yng Nghymru yn wynebu difodiant. Diflaniad a dirywiad cynefinoedd 

yw’r prif fygythiadau o hyd, ac mae’r lefelau uchel iawn o faetholion yn yr 

amgylchedd cyffredinol a hefyd newidiadau yn yr hinsawdd yn cyfrannu at yr 

effeithiau niweidiol hyn. Eisoes tybir bod 26 o fwsoglau a llysiau afu (3%) wedi 

diflannu o Gymru yn ystod y 150 mlynedd ddiwethaf – nifer ohonynt o Eryri. Mae 

poblogaethau 173 o rywogaethau eraill wedi dirywio i’r fath raddau ac/neu wedi 

crebachu o ran dosbarthiad fel eu bod yn syrthio i gategorïau bygythiadau yr IUCN – 

mae 18 (2%) mewn Perygl Enbyd; mae 64 (8%) mewn Perygl ; mae 64 (8%) yn Fregus; 

ac mae 12 (1%) yn agos at fod dan Fygythiad – tra bod prinder gwybodaeth yn golygu 

nad oes modd priodoli categori bygythiad i 15 (2%) ohonynt. 

Felly mae angen gweithredu mewn perthynas â 34% o fflora bryoffytau Cymru er 

mwyn sicrhau dyfodol i’r elfen bwysig hon o’n hamgylchedd naturiol neu i ddeall ei 

statws gwirioneddol. Mae’r ffigur hwn yr un peth ar gyfer Prydain gyfan ond mae 

angen rhoi sylw i wahanol rywogaethau mewn gwahanol rannau o Brydain, yn ôl 

blaenoriaethau rhanbarthol. Gobeithir y bydd y gwaith o adnabod mwsoglau a llysiau 

afu sydd dan fygythiad yng Nghymru yn helpu blaenoriaethu gweithgaredd 

cadwraethol yn y dyfodol ac yn helpu adnabod y planhigion hynny sydd angen sylw 

brys os am eu gwarchod. 

Featured species 

These two species have been selected to illustrate the value of producing 

a Bryophyte Red Data List for Wales. 

Green Blackwort (Southbya tophacea) 

Vulnerable in Great Britain but Least Concern in Wales 

This leafy liverwort is characteristic of Mediterranean Europe, and is very 

close to the northern edge of its global range on Anglesey. It is restricted to 

lime-rich ground where there is an almost constant seepage of water. 

The Anglesey colony is in a dune slack, and there are three further colonies 

in south Wales on limestone cliff slopes: two in Pembrokeshire and one in 

the Vale of Glamorgan. 

The decline in England that led to the Red List status at the British level 

has not been apparent in Wales, although invasion with non-native 

Cotoneaster threatens one Pembrokeshire site and a colony in Flintshire 

has not been surveyed for a number of years. 

Drooping-leaved Beard-moss 

(Paraleptodontium recurvifolium) 

Least Concern in Great Britain but Endangered in Wales 

Drooping-leaved Beard-moss is a beautiful yellow-green species with long, 

tapering, toothed leaves that all curve downwards, and a tongue-twisting 

scientific name. 

It grew in small quantity in at least 8 sites in north Wales, in areas with high 

humidity, seeping water and slightly limey rock. Many of the sites have been 

revisited regularly in recent years, and Paraleptodontium could not be found: 

only two sites in Snowdonia have recent (post-1980) records. 

At least three of the ravines where Drooping-leaved Beard-moss was recorded 

in the past have been considered for hydro-electric power generation, 

although no HEP schemes have been installed on these ravines yet. HEP is 

believed to be a significant threat, potentially causing reduced spray and 

humidity around Paraleptodontium colonies. The ability of this species to 

cope with environmental change is uncertain, but its extremely restricted 

range and tendency to occur in small quantity on any site where it grows 

suggest that it is unlikely to be particularly flexible. 

Cover image 

Orobus-seed Liverwort (Targionia hypophylla) 

© Jonathan Sleath 

SAM BOSANQUET 

GORDON ROTHERO

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