Stripey Calystegia

A quick post to start catching up on recent news. A trip to Grafham Water Lagoons (VC31) this Sunday with the HFFS turned up this attractive form of Large Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica subsp. disjuncta) with broad pink stripes on the outside of the corolla (var. zonata). The stripes are arranged outermost when the flowers are in bud, resulting in striking pink buds that contrast with the flowers. This variety only seems to have a few records in the BSBI database. Rare or overlooked?, my observations to date suggest the former.

As a postscript. Going for a walk around Woodlesford (VC63) I saw other examples of the species with very faint barely perceptible pink tinging where the stripes of var. zonata would be. The buds were white or with a patchy hint of pink. So it seems this variety is at the extreme end of a spectrum of variation in the species, and  var. disjuncta is not necessarily pristine white in all cases.

Stackhouse Detour (VC64)

I took advantage of the favourable weather forecast on Thursday and headed out to Settle. I'm not sure why I had not made it there sooner given it couldn't be easier by train, but my trips to the Dales have been all too infrequent as I focus efforts elsewhere for the New Atlas. Halfway round my planned circuit to Giggleswick Scar and back, I came to the little hamlet of Stackhouse and thought it worth a brief detour. Its fair to say the "spidey senses" were tingling and I've learnt not to ignore those! The gut-feeling didn't disappoint particularly when I found a little track that went round the back of the village between some high, old limestone walls.

First up was a fine stand of Hairy Bindweed (Calystegia pulchra), a bit of a thug but a very fine thug. I last saw this species 10 years or so ago in Wales, so a re-encounter was long overdue. This is a rare plant in the county and the historic records have a very low level of detail associated with them, so it was good to find a new location and record it accurately.

Next up was an even scarcer species and a new one for me - Lamb's-tail (Chiastophyllum oppositifolium). Just a shame I had missed it in bloom, as this huge colony must be an impressive sight when covered in yellow flowers. Previously this species has only been reported from Bowland, so this is a marked range extension.

Here's what I had missed earlier in the season ...

Photo from the website for Kevock Garden

My luck was still in when, just round the corner, were two large plants of Elecampane (Inula helenium). This is another rare plant and predominantly found in the east of the county.

Elsewhere, I almost discounted the Yellow-flowered Strawberry (Potentilla indica) for the Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) which is common on the scars above Stackhouse. Luckily there was a single flower and then I clocked the distinctive fruit. This is only the second record for the VC, and the first record lacks a detailed grid reference.

Final mention must be made of the uncommon white-flowered form of Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis subsp. muralis) that was adorning some of the walls.This goes by the cultivar name of 'Pallidior'.

Photo by Paul Ruddoch from the Nature Spot website

Hybrid Hedge Bindweed

Finally the rain has gone and today was too good a day not to get out somewhere and enjoy the late summer sunshine. My walk took me past Royds Green (VC63) where the bindweeds were in peak bloom and one large stand stood out from the rest due to its intermediate flower size and the wide variation in bracteole morphology, making me instantly think Hybrid Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia x lucana).

The variable bracteoles is often the best way to spot plants that may be of hybrid origin and this is illustrated in the following photo of three flowers taken from the same plant/clone. Note that the flower on the left has ridiculously smally bracteoles, the middle flower has markedly asymmetric bracteoles, while the flower on the right has very large bracteoles that make no attempt to wrap around the flower. The photo also shows variation in corolla length. The flowers are larger than the native parent, Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium ssp. sepium), but smaller than the other parent Large Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica).

Stamen and stigma size are also intermediate between the two parents. The following photo has the stigma of the hybrid on the left and one from Large Bindweed on the right.

Now is a great time to look for the hybrid. There are lots of historic records for VC31, made by Terry Wells in the 1970's, but it has not been reported recently. The BSBI database doesn't seem to hold any records for VC64, so there's something that needs to be resolved!

Escape to the Seaside

I'm sure I am not the only VC Recorder who feels pangs of guilt when they leave their county to record elsewhere. So its always nice when work takes you away somewhere new, particularly if it involves a trip to the seaside. I was lucky to find a few hours to walk down to the beach at Drigg in Cumbria and enjoy some plant species that I don't normally see in my landlocked counties.

Sea Bindweed (Calystegia soldanella)

Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum)

Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias)

The next two do occur in both of my VCs, but it is always nice to find them.

Bloody Crane's-bill (Geranium sanguineum)

Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis)