Aberystwyth Area, West Wales

Saturday 19^th and Sunday 20^th September: Aberystwyth Area, West Wales

This is a late season meeting to explore a couple of botanically interesting sites. Llyn Eiddwen is an upland site with extensive areas of upland heath, mire, a floating bog on the lake margin and of course, the lake itself.

Although a young woodland, Coed Rhosmaen Crug is already diverse with a mosaic of habitats. It was re-planted after forestry clear-fell with mixed species, with a view to encourage its redevelopment into a species rich woodland. There are now over 20 tree species, and its lush conditions are perfect for ferns, mosses, lichens and fungi, so it will be interesting to see what we can find. As well as the vascular plants we will have people on hand who are knowledgeable about bryophytes, fungi and lichens.

Saturday 19^th September: Llyn Eiddwen, Trefenter, Ceredigion

Leader: Steve Chambers and Doug Lloyd

We will meet at 10:30. Parking is on a single-track road which opens onto a common so there is roadside parking for a number of vehicles. Details of exact location will be given to participants nearer the time.

Llyn Eiddwen is a lake and SSSI. It is the source of the River Aeron. This oligotrophic-mesotrophic lake has water purer than that of other lakes in the area and is therefore able to support a number of very rare plants that could not survive in most other lakes. The site is remarkable for its flora, supporting abundant stands of Water Lobelia Lobelia dortmanna, with carpets of Shoreweed Littorella uniflora, Spring Quillwort Isoetes echinospora and Quillwort I. lacustris and Awlwort Subulara aquatica, here at one of its southernmost stations in the United Kingdom, where it forms a curious association with Floating Water-plantain Luronium natans.

Sunday 20^th September: Coed Rhosmaen Crug, near Trefenter, inland from Llanrhystud, Ceredigion

Leaders: Philippa Thompson and Pamela Milner

We will meet at 10:30. The location of the meeting place will be given to participants nearer the time, as we may need to car share.

Coed Rhosmaen Crug is a small, private woodland on the fringes of upland, with a glade where heathers and bilberries have re-established. It has areas of mixed Sessile Oak Quercus petraea, Downy Birch Betula pubescens, Rowan Sorbus aucuparia and Sitka Spruce Pices sitchensis. Specific trees to note are the Juniper Juniperus communis and Spindle Euonymus europaeus. Being predominantly wet it is akin to a Celtic rainforest and in the wettest areas, Willows Salix spp. and Alders Alnus spp. are favoured.

We will explore the ground flora with colourful fungi, 7 types of ferns, a variety of mosses and lichens, and more. There are two bridges over the stream with a handrail. The paths are uneven and wet in places, and so wellington boots are recommended.

To book, contact Janet John wfs.meetings@gmail.com