A 2009 plant-hunter's diary

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

Did find the Tulip today - but only leaves

That's still better than I've managed so far - and far better than I managed on yesterday's hunt for Hutchinsia in Somerset

[davidbr]

3rd April 2009

Off south to the Somerset coast today, specifically Sand Point, where the target plant was a dainty little crucifer; Hutchinsia (Hornungia petraea), a speciality of the limestone of the south-west and one that's turning into a bit of a bogey species having missed it several times already at the Avon Gorge

Needless to say, on that front I failed again It was far from a total disaster, though; Sand Point's a great area for exploration and a walk along to the end of the Point produced Early Forget-me-not (Myosotis ramosissima) in the rabbit-nibbled turf, lots of Common Scurvy-grass (Cochlearia officinalis) (both new finds for the photo files ), as well as a fine range of garden escapes.

The Mediterranean Spurge (Euphorbia characias) that made a spectacular show behind the toilets in the NT car park is a well-known relic, apparently, from an old tea garden here in the 1930's; where the hell the patch of Campernelle Jonquils (Narcissus x odorus) half-way along the point came from, though, is anyone's guess Small bushes of Lauristinus (Viburnum tinus) & Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis) were probably bird-sown, whereas the few plants of Spring Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) were probably garden chuck-outs

Heading back along the coast road towards Weston-super-Mare, a clump of Primrose-peerless (Narcissus x medioluteus) was another newie, and the patch of Spring Starflowers (Ipheion uniflorum) on the roadside bank stood out like a sore thumb

(Spring Starflower, Ipheion uniflorum)

Explorations of Weston sea-front turned up a few more surprises, in the form of Great Forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla), Golden Alison (Alyssum saxatile) & a rather bedraggled Bunch-flowered Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta), all garden escapes, with quite a few small plants amongst the sandy grass; more Early Forget-me-not (Myosotis ramosissima), some mouse-ears I'm still struggling to get my head around & a few specimens of Springbeauty (Claytonia perfoliata).

(Great Forget-me-not, Brunnera macrophylla)

(Golden Alison, Alyssum saxatile)

(Springbeauty, Claytonia perfoliata)

Finally, a little further around the coast at Uphill, I finished the day off with one final new tick, the eighth of a productive trip; Daisybush, Olearia x haastii, was half-hidden amongst some Stern's Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster sternanus) and, not in flower, really looked a bit of a state

[davidbr]

5th April 2009 (Sunday)

A day of leaves today - the main plant I was after was a couple of weeks away from flowering, and two of the three new species I added to the photo database were "foliage-only" finds!

To start the day off, an hour's wander around my local Bristol back lanes turned up a few things of interest; the first Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolaria) I've seen out this year, a mystery spurge that I've posted on the forum for ID help and a couple of attractive specimens of Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) at Abbey Wood Station (Filton).

(Flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum)

Then it was off to Edford Wood, in Somerset, where the Solomon's-seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) was maybe a couple of weeks away from blooming and plenty of Monk's-hood (Aconitum napellus) around the streams was, of course, only in leaf. Apparently it's actually native here, and there sure is plenty of it - it'll be a fine sight in August when it flowers!

(Monk's-hood (Aconitum napellus)

Once I got my eye in, it was pretty easy to distinguish Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage (Chrysosplenium oppositifolium), but you could hardly miss the Wild Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. pseudonarcissus); they carpeted large swathes of the wood, the first definitely wild ones I've seen for quite a few years

(Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Chrysosplenium alternifolium)

(Wild Daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. pseudonarcissus)

[davidbr]

A pretty quiet day today - with most of my time taken up by hospital appointments, I had to be content with a wander around the back lanes of my local neighbourhood.

The two special hellebores, Lenten-rose (Helleborus orientalis) & Corsican Hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius) are still looking good, and I was able to have another look at the clump of naturalised Grape-hyacinths (Muscari neglectum) - with the contrast between almost blackish-blue fertile flowers & much paler sterile ones, they really are very different from the M. armeniacum plants that seem to be absolutely everywhere at the moment

Not a lot else, though; Shining Cranesbill (Geranium lucidum), lots of Three-cornered Leek (Allium triquetrum) & Hybrid Bluebell (Hyacinthoides x massartiana) coming into flower and a Chinese Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) bush, the result presumably of garden rubbish being thrown out not very carefully!

I did manage to add a couple to the list, though, by putting a name to two of the mysteries that'd been cluttering up my Unidentifieds folder! I'm really going to have to track down a decent book to help me identify conifers, and I'm also on the look-out for some reference material covering Forsythia species. Suggestions gratefully appreciated

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

I'm also on the look-out for some reference material covering Forsythia species. Suggestions gratefully appreciated

Vol. 5 of the European Garden Flora has a key and descriptions of 7 species of Forsythia. If you want me to type out the key or look up anything in particular then just PM me.

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

Vol. 5 of the European Garden Flora has a key and descriptions of 7 species of Forsythia. If you want me to type out the key or look up anything in particular then just PM me.

That'd be very useful, thanks

I've come across quite a few Forsythia bushes this Spring as naturalised plants or garden relics, and I'm sure they can't all be F. x intermedia. There's practically no decent, reliable information on line, though, to tell the possible species apart.

[leifus]

Originally Posted by davidbr

5th April 2009 (Sunday)

A day of leaves today - the main plant I was after was a couple of weeks away from flowering, and two of the three new species I added to the photo database were "foliage-only" finds!

To start the day off, an hour's wander around my local Bristol back lanes turned up a few things of interest; the first Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolaria) I've seen out this year, a mystery spurge that I've posted on the forum for ID help and a couple of attractive specimens of Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) at Abbey Wood Station (Filton).

(Flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum)

Then it was off to Edford Wood, in Somerset, where the Solomon's-seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) was maybe a couple of weeks away from blooming and plenty of Monk's-hood (Aconitum napellus) around the streams was, of course, only in leaf. Apparently it's actually native here, and there sure is plenty of it - it'll be a fine sight in August when it flowers!

(Monk's-hood (Aconitum napellus)

Once I got my eye in, it was pretty easy to distinguish Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage (Chrysosplenium oppositifolium), but you could hardly miss the Wild Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. pseudonarcissus); they carpeted large swathes of the wood, the first definitely wild ones I've seen for quite a few years

(Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Chrysosplenium alternifolium)

(Wild Daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. pseudonarcissus)

it may just be me but those don't look short enough to be wild daffodils....?! i may be wrong...

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by leifus

it may just be me but those don't look short enough to be wild daffodils....?! i may be wrong...

I'm not sure whether they're actually native, but they've certainly been known at this site (Edford Woods) for at least 150 years according to the literature; it's one of the few places in Somerset that drifts of daffodils can still be seen in spring.

So I'm 99% sure they're ssp. pseudonarcissus; having not seen a wild one for quite a while, I was actually surprised how different they look to the naturalised plants I'd come across around the Bristol area.

[davidbr]

7th April 2009 (Tuesday)

Thankfully the forecasted rain didn't appear, so I was able to head off bright and early for a morning exploration of the Avon Gorge, a couple of miles from the centre of Bristol, in the hope that a few local specialities might have been in flower.

Unfortunately, they weren't; I couldn't find a trace of Spring Cinquefoil, Dwarf Mouse-ear or Honewort, and there was no sign either of any Green Hellebores at their supposed location in Leigh Woods But, there's always something of interest to see in this area - not least Green & Great Spotted Woodpeckers calling & drumming noisily at Leigh Woods

I managed to add two new species to the photo list, both conifers and hardly the most stunning plants you'll ever see They all count the same, though, so the Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) reverting to nature in Leigh Woods churchyard and the Western Hemlock-spruces (Tsuga heterophylla) were still very welcome!

Elsewhere, Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria) was putting on a show at Leigh Woods and the Perennial Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens looked beautiful on the Gorge clifftop, but I've also been left with a few plants in need of identification!



This one, a garden escape of some kind, looks something like a Fritillaria to me, albeit with totally different leaves to our usual F. meleagris Suggestions welcomed, please



This non-flowering plant, by a path in Leigh Woods, seems somehow familiar, but I just can't seem to place it.



This is either Balkan Anemone, A. blanda, or Blue Anemone, A. apennina; I'd favour the latter because it seems a bit late for A. blanda, but in dull weather the flower wasn't open and I'm really not sure!



And a close-up of one of the many bluebells around the area; this one was well naturalised on the Gorge clifftop, though, and I can't make up my mind whether it's just another Hybrid Bluebell (Hyacinthoides x massartiana or whether it could possibly be the pure Spanish species (H. hispanica?

[davidbr]

And, lastly, comes this spurge Euphorbia (yes, I know - yet another one!!)

I misidentified one as Coral Spurge (Euphorbia corallioides) yesterday, when it was pointed out to me that my plant was glabrous as opposed to pubescent, but this looks far more like the genuine article for E. coralloides - as can be seen from the photos, it's very hairy indeed! There aren't any decent pictures of E. corallioides on the Net, though (at least, none that I can find) so I'd be grateful for opinions either way?



Thanks in advance for any help provided

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

This one, a garden escape of some kind, looks something like a Fritillaria to me, albeit with totally different leaves to our usual F. meleagris Suggestions welcomed, please

This is an Erythronium of some sort, I'll see if I can come up with anything more exact later

Originally Posted by davidbr

This non-flowering plant, by a path in Leigh Woods, seems somehow familiar, but I just can't seem to place it.

see Leaf ID. Fumaria? and Foliage ID

Originally Posted by davidbr

This is either Balkan Anemone, A. blanda, or Blue Anemone, A. apennina; I'd favour the latter because it seems a bit late for A. blanda, but in dull weather the flower wasn't open and I'm really not sure!

I can't see any hairs at the base of the sepals so it ought to be Anemone blanda - I saw some out today so it is not too late.

Originally Posted by davidbr

And a close-up of one of the many bluebells around the area; this one was well naturalised on the Gorge clifftop, though, and I can't make up my mind whether it's just another Hybrid Bluebell (Hyacinthoides x massartiana or whether it could possibly be the pure Spanish species (H. hispanica?

This looks like it could be really Spanish Bluebell to me - very close if not

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

This is an Erythronium of some sort, I'll see if I can come up with anything more exact later

Erythronium californicum (California Fawn-lily) or E. oregonum (Trout Lily) both look like possible candidates

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

And, lastly, comes this spurge Euphorbia (yes, I know - yet another one!!)

I misidentified one as Coral Spurge (Euphorbia corallioides) yesterday, when it was pointed out to me that my plant was glabrous as opposed to pubescent, but this looks far more like the genuine article for E. coralloides - as can be seen from the photos, it's very hairy indeed! There aren't any decent pictures of E. corallioides on the Net, though (at least, none that I can find) so I'd be grateful for opinions either way?



Thanks in advance for any help provided

I found one picture that looks quite similar to your plant and it does seem to fit the description of E corallioides. I think you are probably right

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

This is an Erythronium of some sort, I'll see if I can come up with anything more exact later

Thanks, Tiggrx; of your two suggestions, I reckon it's Erythronium californicum, California Fawn-lily

It's not listed as a naturalised or introduced species in Clement & Foster's Alien Plants of the British Isles, so I'm pretty pleased with that one

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

see Leaf ID. Fumaria? and Foliage ID

Cardamine impatiens hadn't even occurred to me, but this is a known site for Narrow-leaved Bittercress later in the year (though it's a big area and I've no idea exactly where it's supposed to grow). And, an online search turned up this picture here of a young C. impatiens plant which looks to be a perfect match

I was in two minds whether to bother to photograph this one - glad I did now

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

I can't see any hairs at the base of the sepals so it ought to be Anemone blanda - I saw some out today so it is not too late.

Thanks; I guess A. blanda must have taken over as the commonest blue Anemone species in the wild now, then? It certainly seems to be a favourite in gardens; the last time I went to a garden centre, they were on sale in numbers. The books I've got still list it as a rare introduction with only a couple of sites, but that's obviously now out of date.

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

This looks like it could be really Spanish Bluebell to me - very close if not

I'm glad it's not just me who thinks that

I suppose you can't ever rule out it having some hybrid genes within it, but the Avon Gorge ought to be a perfect location for H. hispanica to have clung on (this plant was nowhere near anywhere rubbish could be thrown out, that's for sure ) and, in the absence of DNA testing, I'm going to count this one as my first "definite" Spanish Bluebell

Thanks again, Tiggrx, for all your help and input

[davidbr]

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me sort out some confusion regarding garden pansy hybrids

Up until now I'd always assumed that regardless of flower size/colour etc, all Garden Pansies were lumped together under Viola x wittrockiana. But now, on some seed suppliers' websites, I've come across two more hybrids, Viola x hybrida & Viola x williamsii, which they seem to be using for the smaller-flowered pansies known in gardening circles as "violas"

I can't find any information on these new crosses, or even which species they originate from; they're not listed on the BSBI database, or anything like that. Help!!

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me sort out some confusion regarding garden pansy hybrids

Up until now I'd always assumed that regardless of flower size/colour etc, all Garden Pansies were lumped together under Viola x wittrockiana. But now, on some seed suppliers' websites, I've come across two more hybrids, Viola x hybrida & Viola x williamsii, which they seem to be using for the smaller-flowered pansies known in gardening circles as "violas"

I can't find any information on these new crosses, or even which species they originate from; they're not listed on the BSBI database, or anything like that. Help!!

According to various sources that I have looked at the Garden Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana) is either the triple hybrid between V. altaica, V. tricolor and V. lutea or is derived from the cross between V. arvensis & V. tricolor. This is the plant horticulturally called the Pansy.

The plant grown as the Viola or Bedding Viola is apparently the cross between V. x wittrockiana and V. cornuta and is usually called V. x hybrida. I had never come across V. x williamsii before but apparently the name has been around since 1897 and refers to the same plant. I am not sure which name has priority.

[davidbr]

9th April 2009 (Thursday)

Weather-wise it's been a pretty awful day down this way, with strong winds (a nightmare for photography...) and frequent heavy showers, but I was still determined to get out for a bit; yesterday had been a late night, fuelled by far too much liquid () and I reckoned some fresh air in my lungs would do me the world of good. And where better to get it, than a cemetery...?

I've visited so many churchyards & graveyards this Spring that my girlfriend says she's going to start calling me Dracula, but I find them thrilling places to explore; around each corner, you just never know what you're going to find

Unfortunately at today's venue, what I found was a couple of (expletive deleted) council workers mowing the feckin' grass - obviously not good for my hopes of finding anything naturalised from old gravestones! Thankfully they couldn't mow the tarmac, where a pretty little self-seeded crucifer was, thanks to Tiggrx's kind confirmation, added to the list as my first "wild" example of Virginia Stock (Malcomia maritima)



The best I could find elsewhere, though, were Hybrid Bluebells (Hyacinthoides x massartiana) coming into flower, a clump of Poet's Narcissus (Narcissus poeticus) and a huge patch of Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana) - it must have covered a good half-dozen square yards, probably the most extensive I've ever seen

The good news; tomorrow's weather forecast, and the weekend's, is meant to be better. The bad news; it's a bloody bank holiday, which means the North Somerset coast (which I'm planning to visit in search of Snake's-head Iris, amongst others) will be packed with people & their dogs Ah, well...

[KeenTeen17]

Originally Posted by davidbr

9th April 2009 (Thursday)

Weather-wise it's been a pretty awful day down this way, with strong winds (a nightmare for photography...) and frequent heavy showers, but I was still determined to get out for a bit; yesterday had been a late night, fuelled by far too much liquid () and I reckoned some fresh air in my lungs would do me the world of good. And where better to get it, than a cemetery...?

I've visited so many churchyards & graveyards this Spring that my girlfriend says she's going to start calling me Dracula, but I find them thrilling places to explore; around each corner, you just never know what you're going to find

Unfortunately at today's venue, what I found was a couple of (expletive deleted) council workers mowing the feckin' grass - obviously not good for my hopes of finding anything naturalised from old gravestones! Thankfully they couldn't mow the tarmac, where a pretty little self-seeded crucifer was, thanks to Tiggrx's kind confirmation, added to the list as my first "wild" example of Virginia Stock (Malcomia maritima)



The best I could find elsewhere, though, were Hybrid Bluebells (Hyacinthoides x massartiana) coming into flower, a clump of Poet's Narcissus (Narcissus poeticus) and a huge patch of Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana) - it must have covered a good half-dozen square yards, probably the most extensive I've ever seen

The good news; tomorrow's weather forecast, and the weekend's, is meant to be better. The bad news; it's a bloody bank holiday, which means the North Somerset coast (which I'm planning to visit in search of Snake's-head Iris, amongst others) will be packed with people & their dogs Ah, well...

nice find on the stock. I agree about easter weekend. I do geocaching and its best not to be seen when taking a cache out of a place and putting it back. thats why I can't stand it when people are out with their dogs. I just prefer empty places where I can do what I want

[davidbr]

10th April 2009 (Friday)

It'd been a couple of weeks since my last visit, so I reckoned it was about time I headed back to the nature reserve at Frenchay Hospital, north Bristol, in particular to see how the Snake's-head Fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris were getting on!



As you can see from the picture there were plenty in flower; mostly the standard checkered variety, but a few white ones like these too. Most of the other spring flowers that'd graced this site, though, were virtually over - just a few Balkan Anemones (Anemone blanda) hanging on.

A look around the rest of the reserve area saw me strike lucky with a pair of new conifers for the list; Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) & Deodar (Cedrus deodara), which I'm sure were once planted many years ago as part of the old estate here, but are now thoroughly integrated into the native landscape. There were also a few larches Larix sp. which I've so far been unable to identify; I took these photos of the cones & young leaves, hopefully someone will be able to offer some advice



Later in the morning I headed north into Gloucestershire, and Frampton-on-Severn (just along the coast from the Slimbridge WWT reserve); there's an old wood here which also seems to have been part of an estate and, as a result, contains quite a few interesting naturalised relic trees. The Black Walnuts (Juglans nigra) weren't yet in leaf, but several Weeping Crack-willows (Salix x pendulina) were looking quite green around the boating lakes, another new plant for the photo list. In the village, too, was a fine patch of Blue Anemones, Anemone apennina, plus the usual Cuckoo-flower, etc.

By far the day's most unusual find, though, was in an old quarry, now used as a rubbish dump and motorbike obstacle course by the looks of it, on the edge of the wood. In amongst heaps of dumped soil, in a location it looked almost impossible to plant anything... two trees, roughly 20 feet tall, of Tasmanian Snow Gum, Eucalyptus coccifera Where the heck did they come from!!??

Tasmanian Snow Gum, Eucalyptus coccifera

[davidbr]

I'm usually far from convincing when it comes to conifer ID () but from what I've managed to find out, the pink-edged green bracts to the young cones mark this one out as Japanese Larch, Larix kaempferi. So that's what I'm putting it down as

Anyone who thinks/knows differently, though, please feel free to disagree

[davidbr]

12th April 2009 (Sunday)

Off south to the fringes of the Mendips today, in search of several species in particular of which I ultimately found none! No sign of Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem, nor Bird-in-a-bush (Corydalis solida) nor Bladdernut (Staphylea pinnata)... but, despite those failures, there was plenty around to grab my interest!

Exploring around the villages of Stoke St. Michael, Mells & Great Elm produced four new species for the list; Common Juniper (Juniperus communis), which was well-naturalised in the woods around Great Elm, Abraham-Isaac-Jacob (Trachystemon orientalis) in a hedge at Stoke St. Michael, Greater Chickweed (Stellaria neglecta) by the streamside path at Great Elm and, nearby, a single bush of Gagnepain's Barberry (Berberis gagnepainii) just about coming into flower.

(Abraham-Isaac-Jacob, Trachystemon orientalis)

(Greater Chickweed, Stellaria neglecta)

(Gagnepain's Barberry, Berberis gagnepainii)

Another Berberis, Thunberg's Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) was plentiful in the Great Elm woods, with both purple-leaved and normal forms self-seeding freely amongst the scrub layer. Banks & walls in the village had Great Forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla), whilst the usual Wood Anemones (Anemone nemorosa), Wood-sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) & Common Dog-violets (Viola riviniana) made for a fine splash of colour

(Thunberg's Barberry, Berberis thunbergii)

Sight of the day, though, was without a doubt at Mells, where a fabulous carpet of Balkan Anemones (Anemone blanda) turned the approach to Mells Manor blue & white!

Balkan Anemones, Anemone blanda)

A couple of Snake's-head Fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris) were well worth a photo, even though I've seen quite a lot of this species recently, and I've also managed to get my head in a spin over a dead-nettle (Lamium) growing nearby It's probably just Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum) but, for some reason, doesn't look quite right...

(Snake's-head Fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris)

(As-of-yet-unnamed dead nettle; opinions welcome, please... )

[leifus]

red dead-nettle indeed david

[KeenTeen17]

Originally Posted by leifus

red dead-nettle indeed david

I'll agree with Leif. the leaves aren't right for the cut leaved dead nettle

[davidbr]

Yes, I think you're both right; it's just a Red Dead-nettle, perhaps the flowers were a bit paler because it was growing in the shade. Thanks for the help

[davidbr]

13th April 2009 (Monday)

I just couldn't face the Bank Holiday crowds that were sure to have congregated on the coast, so decided to use today to catch up with work I'd been putting off; plus a walk to the railway station on my doorstep, Abbey Wood, to see how a few of the favourites were getting on

Thankfully it was nice and quiet this morning (it's largely a work-day station, taking staff to and from the MOD headquarters next door, so weekends and the like find the place deserted); the Winter-cress (Barbarea vulgaris) & Wood Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) had turned the pathside a picture of yellow & blue, and a couple of patches of Three-cornered Leek (Allium triquetrum) & White Comfrey (Symphytum orientale) were in full flower too.

The abundance of Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) here really has to be seen to be believed; last summer I only noticed a handful of plants, but now there must be upwards of 20 and it's almost the dominant species on some parts of the railway bank A couple of plants of Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) had also sprung up, just about close enough to be able to manage a half-decent photo

(Flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum)

I was also pleased to find that the single bush of Hairy Canary-clover (Dorycnium hirsutum) I'd found last summer had now become two; they won't flower for a month or so yet, but looked in good health - from what I've read, this could be one of the only sites in the UK for this plant. Some Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata) was in flower nearby, and a small plant of Lamb's-ear (Stachys byzantina) amongst the rough grass was a new find for the site; for such a distinctive plant, I was left wondering how I'd managed to miss it before

(Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata)

(Lamb's-ear, Stachys byzantina)

Not bad for a railway station on the edge of a city, really!