A 2009 plant-hunter's diary

[davidbr]

Day Three, and we began the morning with a walk along a couple of miles of coastline; this area, between Blue Anchor and Minehead, is well known for a range of specialities and I was hopeful of tracking down most, if not all, of them.

Yellow-horned Poppy (Glaucium flavum) was easy; they were everywhere, all along the shingle, and made a fine sight. I soon found Suffocated Clover (Trifolium suffocatum) & Mossy Stonecrop (Crassula tillaea), in the short turf around some chalets, and a couple of plants I decided were the Smooth Cat's-ear (Hypochaeris glabra) this site is well-known for (though I'm waiting for someone to disagree...)

(Yellow-horned Poppy, Glaucium flavum)

(Mossy Stonecrop, Crassula tillaea)

(Suffocated Clover, Trifolium suffocatum)

(Smooth Cat's-ear, Hypochaeris glabra)

Fragrant Evening-primrose (Oenothera stricta) makes a fine show on the sand here, a reminder of the Brean & Berrow Dunes closer to home, and I also managed to fill a glaring gap in my list - for some reason I'd never found Field Pansy (Viola arvensis) last year but, well, I have now! Rough Clover (Trifolium scabrum) was also very common.

(Fragrant Evening-primrose, Oenothera stricta)

(Field Pansy, Viola arvensis)

(Rough Clover, Trifolium scabrum)

Greek Dock (Rumex cristatus) is common in this area, and along the seafront at Minehead there were also a couple of bushes of Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum)

(Greek Dock, Rumex cristatus)

(Spanish Broom, Spartium junceum)

[davidbr]

Nearby, at Dunster (site of the famous castle), I was in search of Chestnut-leaved Oak (Quercus castaneifolia) which, according to the Atlas Flora of Somerset, grew as a "single small tree at Park Gate, Vinegar Hill". Well, success; I found the site and found the tree, or at least what I assumed was it

(Chestnut-leaved Oak, Quercus castaneifolia)

In the village, pavement-crack weeds included quite a few Atlas Poppies (Papaver atlanticum), of a double-flowered form I'd never seen before

(Atlas Poppy, Papaver atlanticum)

And, later in the afternoon, after ending up in the village of Treborough (inland from Watchet), we chanced upon a fine selection of escapes in the lane-side verges; Jacob's-ladder (Polemonium caeruleum), plus three species of Cranesbill; Pencilled (Geranium versicolor), Rock (G. macrorrhizum) & Munich (G. x monacense). The latter I first identified as Dusky Cranesbill and it took a while for me to realise my mistake - but since I hadn't previously seen either, it didn't really matter

(Jacob's-ladder, Polemonium caeruleum)

(Pencilled Cranesbill, Geranium versicolor)

(Rock Cranesbill, Geranium macrorrhizum)

(Munich Cranesbill, Geranium x monacense)

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by davidbr

A couple more I could use some advice on, too;

Is this Subterranean Clover (Trifolium subterraneum)?

I think Trifolium scabrum is a very good suggestion - this from Northern Cyprus (note general characters - especially calyx):


cheers

Chris

PS you clearly know your plants! - if you spot any diseases (mildews, rusts etc.) on any of these aliens I would be very interested - check out the Fungal Plant Parasites thread on the Fungi Forum . . .

[davidbr]

Day Four began with a failure as, despite it supposedly being naturalised over "a wide area of heather moorland", I didn't manage to find Checkerberry at Haddon Hill, above the Wimbleball Reservoir. Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) was some form of compensation, I guess, as was the Pink-purslane (Claytonia sibirica) abundant along the River Exe at Exbridge...

...but it wasn't until we reached Dulverton that things really began to look up. Here, between the road and the river, was what I can only assume to be the remains of a long-neglected waterside garden; totally overgrown, it held several exciting relics including one I'm still yet to name! Perfoliate Honeysuckle (Lonicera capreolata) was covering a roadside hedge, whilst Red False-buck's-beard (Astilbe x arendsii) & Stransvaesia (Photinia davidiana) were also visible from the road - plus a lilac I've so far been unable to ID.

(Perfoliate Honeysuckle, Lonicera capreolata)

(Red False-buck's-beard, Astilbe x arendsii)

(Stransvaesia, Photinia davidiana)

I had to hop over the fence and push my way down to the river to find Fatsia (Fatsia japonica), Common Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, not in flower) and Confused Bridewort (Spiraea x pseudosalicifolia, also non-flowering); there were a couple of bushes of Darwin's Barberry (Berberis darwinii), too, plus a Chinese Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) and a few plants of Garden Solomon's-seal (Polygonatum x hybridum) in a patch of grass.

(Fatsia, Fatsia japonica)

(Confused Bridewort, Spiraea x pseudosalicifolia)

A delightful feature of this area is the abundance of Pyrenean Valerian (Valeriana pyrenaica), a very attractive escape that's naturalised itself in vast patches all along the main B3223 road above Dulverton.

(Pyrenean Valerian, Valeriana pyrenaica)

We also chanced upon a couple of bushes of Yellow Azalea (Rhododendron luteum) by the side of the road whilst driving across Exmoor, whilst having stopped for a cup of tea in the village of Horner, a glance down at my shoes resulted in American Speedwell (Veronica peregrina) - a tiny plant if ever there was one, definitely a lucky find

(Yellow Azalea, Rhododendron luteum)

(American Speedwell, Veronica peregrina)

And finally, driving through Dunster village having failed to find Meadow Saxifrage at nearby Withycombe church, we came across this daisy in a pavement crack; thanks to aeshna's help on the forum, I've since been able to identify it as Treasureflower (Gazania rigens)

[davidbr]

The final day of our five-day trip turned out to be one of the most interesting, as our journey homeward to Bristol produced a range of good finds. Starting, as so often, with a failure; I couldn't find any Green Hellebores at Aisholt, near Bridgwater, but the lane-sides near the village church were covered by a fine spread of Bulbous Comfrey (Symphytum bulbosum)

(Bulbous Comfrey, Symphytum bulbosum)

Nearby, we chanced upon a couple more excellent finds; a fine expanse of Przewalski's Leopard-plant (Ligularia przewalksii), as beautiful as it is difficult to spell (), a hosta I've since ID'd as Plantain-lily, Hosta sieboldiana and a very attractive cranesbill. A very unusual one, too (assuming my ID's correct...) Geranium asphodeloides, no common name I could find, a South European plant with (according to the BSBI maps) only two UK records, both prior to 1999

(Przewalski's Leopard-plant, Ligularia przewalskii)

(Plantain-lily, Hosta sieboldiana)

(Geranium asphodeloides)

Driving through the nearby village of Nether Stowey, I was lucky enough to spot several clumps of Pink-headed Knotweed (Persicaria capitata), whilst at our next stop I successfully located Meadow Saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata) in the churchyard at Spaxton - of the double-flowered flore pleno variety, these plants were unfortunately well past their best

(Pink-headed Knotweed, Persicaria capitata)

(Meadow Saxifrage, Saxifraga granulata)

At Enmore, a few miles further on, the Chimney Bellflower meant to grow on the churchyard walls had presumably died out; Least Yellow-sorrel (Oxalis exilis) was almost a ground-cover in the churchyard, and I also found a funny woody plant seeded onto one of the walls that aeshna later ID'd on here as Californian Tree Poppy (Romneya coulteri); not only had I never seen it, I'd never even heard of it before Oh - and there was also a Pittosporum bush I'm yet to name - any and all ideas welcome, please...

(Least Yellow-sorrel, Oxalis exilis)

(Californian Tree Poppy, Romneya coulteri)

(Pittosporum sp; help needed, please...)

And lastly, at Westhay on the Somerset Levels, alongside dozens of Round-leaved Sundews (Drosera rotundifolia), were at least four Sarracenia flava - an American pitcher-plant, with the common name of Trumpets according to the BSBI database. Where on earth did that come from?

(Round-leaved Sundew, Drosera rotundifolia)

(Trumpets, Sarracenia flava)

[KeenTeen17]

great finds there David. I went out yesterday looking for the Persicaria capitata but failed to find it. I only found it last October so its one for later on anyway. Great job on the Sarracenia. You've caught the colours well.

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

great finds there David. I went out yesterday looking for the Persicaria capitata but failed to find it. I only found it last October so its one for later on anyway. Great job on the Sarracenia. You've caught the colours well.

It was just a pure chance find - we were driving through the village and I happened to spot it through the car window. It's not listed in the Flora of Somerset book I was using, so I had no idea it was there

A lot of these little country villages tend to be like that, though - more often than not, I'd find something unusual growing in the pavement cracks or on the old walls of them.

[davidbr]

Just the one addition from yesterday, on my way back from the hospital appointment that scuppered my plans to spend this week on the Scillies (that'll have to wait until the end of the month instead...)

Calling into Abbey Wood Station, one of my favourite alien plant haunts, a bright blue flower of Canterbury-bells (Campanula medium) had sprung into life on the railway bank

(Canterbury-bells, Campanula medium)

It's a plant I've been long-expecting, since it's meant to be a frequent escape, and another find for this excellent site; Hairy Canary-clover (Doryncium hirsutum) is in flower there now, as is Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) and, in a lane nearby, Cut-leaved Blackberry (Rubus laciniata)

(Cut-leaved Blackberry, Rubus laciniata)

There was also this crucifer, which seemed to have awfully pale flowers; it's probably just Black Mustard (Brassica nigra), but something about it made me stop and take a photo...

[davidbr]

10th June 2009

Today, I was off in search of one of the country's rarest plants; the North Somerset coast (specifically Purn Hill, in the village of Bleadon, about 3 miles from Weston-super-Mare) is one of only two UK sites for White Rock-rose (Helianthemum apenninum) and they ought to be in full bloom by now.

Thankfully, once I found the site, I found the plants easily; the one I'd really wanted to see, though, was the hybrid between White & Common Rock-roses, Helianthemum x sulphureum, which is even rarer than the parent; here, all three grew alongside one another for easy comparison

(White Rock-rose, Helianthemum apenninum)

(Hybrid Rock-rose, Helianthemum x sulphureum)

In addition to the Hybrid Rock-rose, I also added seven other plants to my list during a very successful day. Firstly, growing out of cracks in some paving, was the lovely Yellow-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium californicum)

(Yellow-eyed-grass, Sisyrinchium californicum)

Next, nearby at the Uphill nature reserve, Sea Clover (Trifolium squamosum) grew, just as the books had said, on the sea wall (I failed to find Slender Hare's-ear or Parsley Water-dropwort here, though )

(Sea Clover, Trifolium squamosum)

Then, whilst I was walking through Bleadon village trying to find the track to Purn Hill, I chanced upon a clump of Turkish Irises (Iris orientalis). They're supposedly naturalised in several places along this coast - I noticed it grown in several village gardens, though, so I'm guessing the ones I found resulted from dumped rubbish

(Turkish Iris, Iris orientalis)

[davidbr]

Nearby, a drainage dyke had been colonised by Floating Pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides)



Up on Purn Hill, near the rock-roses, I found quite a few Long-stalked Cranesbills (Geranium columbinum)...

(Long-stalked Cranesbill, Geranium columbinum)

...but the real excitement came as I headed back down the hill; where soil had been dumped on a field, lots of Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) & Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) had sprung up. In amongst them, and the grass, were two startlingly-coloured Crimson Flax (Linum grandiflorum) plants...

(Crimson Flax, Linum grandiflorum)

...and just the one, lonely, Corncockle (Agrostemma githago)

(Corncockle, Agrostemma githago)