Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - Summer 1993 - No 55
Richard Pryce
Leaders Philip Jones and Richard Pryce.
About a dozen members and friends met on the bridge over the Afon Dulais at Cwmbach (22/487019) on a dull and damp January afternoon in order to examine "Trees in winter" as billed in the programme. Stradey Woods is an "ancient woodland" as provisionally designated by the Countryside Council for Wales (NCC,1987) but although containing fine specimens of the typical native coalfield woodland species like Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and Holly (Ilex aquifolium), the are also many alien species planted over the years by the Stradey Estate. In addition there are colonisers that no doubt have arrived without the help of man, for instance Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica). All these species were demonstrated by the leaders together with Dr George Hutchinsoi from the National Museum of Wales who had joined the party.
Walking down the valley close to the stream, the woodland structure was seen to comprise of a canopy layer of the large trees (oak, Ash etc), a shrub layer principally of Hazel (Corylus avellana), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and Holly and a "sub-shrub" layer of, for instance, Bramble (Rubus fruiticosus) and Ivy (Hedera helix). The ground or herb layer varied considerably according to such factors as degree of shading and soil wetness. Species included Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), Red Campion (Silene dioica), Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) and Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage (Chrysosplenium oppositifolium). Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) was frequent in the shrub layer having been planted in the past to provide cover for game-birds. Other aliens noted included Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and the recently planted Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba), a tree belonging to an ancient group distantly related to the cycads and thought to have been extinct since Cretaceous times until discovered growing in China in 1758.
Dr Hutchinson was able to demonstrate the subtle differences between the ferns growing along the stream banks. These included Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina), Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas), Scaly Male Fern (D.affinis subsp.affinis), Broad Buckler¬fern (D.dilatata) and Hard Fern (Blechnum spicant). More fern species were seen on the old walls around Home Farm (22/488013): Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes subsp.quadrivalens), Wall-rue (A.ruta-muraria), Polypody (Polypodium vulgare) and Hart's-tongue (Phyllytis scolopendrium).
Walking up towards the castle, five flowers of Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) were counted by the track and a Red Campion plant was showing its first blooms, precursors of spring! In fact the first daffodil (Narcissus cv.) was flowering, which, together with a few early Primroses (Primula vulgaris), was brightening-up the north-facing wall of the castle, braving the mist and gloom. Comment was made on the magnificence of some of the planted ees by the castle (22/491016). Particularly splendid were the Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra subsp.laricio), the Monkey Puzzle (Araucaria araucana) and the Holm Oak (Quercus ilex). By the East Lodge (22 /495015), a plant in full flower at this time of year was Abraham-Isaac-Jacob (Trachystemon orientalis), a Boraginaceous species native of the Eastern Mediterranean region, introduced to neighbouring gardens and now escaped and established in Stradey Wood
The way back to the cars took the group through the woodland close to Trimsaran Road where recent felling operations had disturbed and muddied the ground. Here Dr.J ones pointed out the edible, winter-fruiting Velvet-shank fungus (Hammulina (=Collybia) velutipes) with its black stipe and yellow-ochre cap, growing on dead wood. Previously, near Home Farm, he had shown the party the very hard Cramp-ball fungus, also known as King Alfred's Cakes, (Daldinia concentrica) growing on a dead Ash branch.
Not many birds had been seen during the afternoon, a Blackbird earching for worms, two Robins, a scolding Wren and a Song Thrush breaking into short bursts of song but just as the party returned to the bridge, a squawking Heron flapped lazily above the trees, rounding-off what had been a very enjoyable meeting.
Back at Cwmbach the party thanked the leaders who hoped that identification of some of the leafless trees of winter would now present less of a problem and urged members to make an effort to attend the complimentary walk to be led by Ian Morgan on 7th August in order to be able to recognise the same trees in summer.