catch up

Last Friday I walked along a section of canal. There are plants of fine-leaved water dropwort (Oenanthe aquaticus) scattered along a length of the canal bank.

I also looked out for sedges growing along the canal banks. In addition to previously identified false fox sedge (Carex otrubae) there is a second, less robust, species, with yellowish tinged foliage, which I have not yet been able to identify.

On Saturday evening I had a walk along, among other places, the old railway line to the north west of town. New species encountered there are grass vetchling (Lathyrus aphaca) and yellow bartsia (Parentucellia viscosa). The former was also seen earlier on Saturday evening along the path on the other side of the operating railway line through the town, but not identified until Sunday.

Today I took a circuit around the north of the extended area. New species are corn spurrey (Spergula arvensis), another spurrey (Spergularia sp.), a crowfoot (Ranunculus sp.), common marsh bedstraw (Galium palustre), water figwort (Scrophularia auriculata), and intermediate-flowered winter cress (Barbarea intermedia).

Corn spurrey was recorded at two localities. One was along a farm track cum public footpath.

I haven't been able to identify the 2nd spurrey to species. The inland location would suggest sand spurry (Spergularia rubra), but the particular site was a roadside edge in a location similar to that colonised by Danish scurvy grass (Cochlearia danica), so one of the maritime species, especially lesser sea-spurrey (Spergularia marina) would also be possible.

The crowfoot had only capillary leaves, even though it was growing on wet ground rather than submerged (presumably the pond margins have receded since the spring). I am reluctant to draw any conclusions as to the specific identity of the plants from this, as elsewhere I have seen a considerable colony of common water-crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis) with only rare laminar leaves.

The remaining plants were recorded along the far canal towpath.

Today I also recorded new sites for a number of plants previously recorded from only a single site, including three sites for tufted forget-me-not (Myosotis laxa) and two for large birds foot trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus)