more novelties

Om Tuesday I visited the local garden open to visitors (stately home). By the lake common sedge (Carex nigra) is growing. Several grassy parts of the garden have heath bedstraw (Galium saxatile). There are several plants of field forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis) in the walled garden.

I came back along the further canal towpath, where I encountered a plant of marsh ragwort (Senecio palustris).

On Wednesday evening I had a look at a public open space lying between the river and the canal. Along the canal towpath on the way there I found yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor) growing. A Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) is growing in wet ground near the river. A sulphur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) is present at the far end of the area. Other plants present include 3 types of willow (Salix spp.), a clump of black poplars (Populus sp.), regenerating sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), and several other plants new to the parish.

Yellow cordydalis (Corydalis lutea) is naturalised in a wall in the village on the other bank of the canal.

Atlas poppy

Atlas poppy (Papaver atlanticum) is naturalised in a couple of localities, one in the centre of town (parish A), and the other near the major road crossroads at the western end of parish L.

dogwood

The wild growing dogwood I observed down the road last year is now flowering, so I may be able to use the fruit to identify the species later this year.

I also encountered this evening another wild growing dogwood (this time in parish O).

small nettle

I've been wondering for some time why I hadn't seen a small nettle (Urtica urens) anywhere. I've finally encountered one - growing in a pavement crack outside the pub at the end of the street.

Iris

I has a first look at some of the higher ground south and west of the meadows on the south side of town, and encountered a single plant of a purple-flowered iris.

willows

On Saturday evening I took the field edition of Clapham, Tutin and Warburg with me, and went to look at the willows on a couple of nearby sites - the old railway line running behind my house, and the meadows on the south side of town.

There appear to be five types of willow growing along the old railway line. There is sufficient variation among the leaves of sallows that I suspect that there are two species present, probably Salix caprea and Salix cinerea. The other types appear to be almond-leaved willow (Salix triandra), osier (Salix viminalis and one which keys out as a sallow-oiser hybrid (the oiser-like habit supports this indentification).

The meadows had a single isolated tree of crack willow (Salix fragilis) (I encountered a second one elsewhere on the meadows today) and a population of what appear to be sallows, but with prominently red twigs.

For the time being I am adding crack willow to the list, and holding fire on the others pending further study.

I was aware of the presence of aspen (Populus tremula) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) growing at the northern end of the old railway line, but had discounted them as possibly being planted. While checking out the willows I encountered both these species growing in convincingly wild situations. While blackthorn is common in hedges in the area, this is the first I've seen that I've been confident wasn't planted. I also found, as another new species, broad-leaved whitebeam (Sorbus latifolia agg.)

new locality

On Saturday I had a look at a new locality - the hill at the southern extremity of parish A. Most of the accessible parts of this locality are a tree-lined sunken lane with patches of adjoining woodland, but there is also a public footpath that runs along the foot of the hill (there is a distinct break of slope here).

Plants recorded are ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastaneum), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), burdock (Arctium sp.), sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), mouseear (Cerastium sp.), creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare), hazel (Corylus avellana), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), hemp-nettle (Galeopsis sp.), cleavers (Galium aparine), cut-leaved cranesbill (Geranium dissectum), herb robert (Geranium robertianum), wood avens (Geum urbanum), ivy (Hedera helix), hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), blubell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), holly (Ilex aquifolium), Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), nipplewort (Lapsana communis), dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis), Myosotis sylvatica (forget-me-not), ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata), silverweed (Potentilla anserina), lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis), common oak (Quercus robur), field buttercup (Ranunculus acris), lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria), creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), redcurrant (Ribes rubrum), bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius), elder (Sambucus nigra), groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), chickweed (Stellaria media agg.), red clover (Trifolium pratense), elm (Ulmus sp.), nettle (Urtica dioica) and germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys).

This includes the first record of lungwort in the area, and the first record of regenerating, rather than planted, sweet chestnut.