Field Cow Wheat in Bedfordshire

[lizard orchid]

Dear All,
Continuing on from my plea for help with rare plant habitat management I have been co-operating with Graham Bellamy the Conservation Officer for Beds over the habitat management for the Field Cow Wheat in Bedfordshire.
IN 2007 and 2008 there was only one plant. Sadly no plants appeared this year even though I searched a few times at the site. The plot and ditch where it usually grows was covered with mellilot this year and if this happens again next year then the mellilot will be hand pulled to stop it becoming too much of a problem.
The vegetation at the Beds site can be far ranker than I have seen at the other British sites where there are more open conditions such as the Isle of Wight and the intorduced population at Porchester in North Hampshire. The ground is even more open at two other sites, the introduced population at College Lake Reserve in Bucks and the Wiltshire population. The Wiltshire population has a proud owner who looks after it and the other year the population was estimated at 7000 plants. I wish I could get that many to appear in Beds!!
Habitat management will continue on the Beds site and I do hope this species does not become extinct in Beds in the near future.

Brian Laney Northamptonshire