Skipton and Embsay

On Saturday I took a trip on the train out to Skipton (VC64) to start work on a couple of under-recorded hectads. I picked a circular route out to Embsay and the reservoir. It did not turn out to be the most inspiring countryside with intensive farmland in the lowland and a 'sheep-wrecked' upland edge. But needs must with the pressures of Atlas 2020 mounting, and it just means you have to look a little harder.

The first nice find was a good stand of Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) along Springs Canal, later to be seen again at the entrance to Skipton Wood. This attractive plant does not appear to have been recorded from this hectad previously.

Purple Loosestrife - I am cheating with this photo as it was taken at 

Lowther Lake a couple of weeks back

Walking up The Bailey I was able to look up onto the walls of Skipton Castle where there were naturalised colonies of Aubrieta (Aubrieta deltoidea) and Golden Alison (Aurinia saxatilis). The former had not been recorded here previously, and the only other record for the hectad was last century (pre-1999, details very vague as is the case for too many records). Golden Alison was new to the hectad.

Golden Alison (photo by Prazak from Wikimedia Commons)

After a dull walk down into Embsay things picked up again with a number of oddities along Brackenley Lane. First up was a couple of plants of Upright Spurge (Euphorbia stricta). This is a rare British native but it is a casual up here. I see it is listed by some seed suppliers as 'Golden Foam'. A nice plant but I am not sure I need to grow it my garden. Each to their own.

Old walls further along the lane had Caucasian Stonecrop (Sedum spurium) and Snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum), and then this surprise by the steps up to the footpath across the fields. Yellow Oxeye (Telekia speciosa).

Emerging onto Pasture Road I found a nice stand of Dusky Crane's-bill (Geranium phaeum var. phaeum) where Embsay Beck passes under the road. Still a few flowers present despite the season.

Reaching the reservoir I couldn't wait to get down to the shore to look for drawdown flora. Unfortunately this is one of the reservoirs where this is very poorly developed and there were none of the specialities. The highlights being Tufted Forget-me-not (Myosotis laxa) and Marsh Yellow-cress (Rorippa palustris). The latter the first record for the hectad since pre-1969. I was then pleased to find a bush of Glandular Dog-rose (Rosa squarrosa), a hectad first, swiftly followed by yet another in the form of Musk (Mimulus moschatus). A single large clump was growing in the northern inflow.

Musk, photo taken last year at Fewston Reservoir

Heading up onto the Moor, there was only slim pickings but it allowed me to record the usual suspects. The nicest find was Climbing Corydalis (Ceratocapnos claviculata). I then dropped down back towards Embsay. A few useful records were made on route, mainly garden escapes and plantings. The biggest surprise was Algerian Ivy (Hedera algeriensis) established in plantation behind the roadside wall. I suspect this species may be overlooked elsewhere, being passed over for Irish Ivy (Hedera hibernica Hibernica Group). Look out for large leaves, ruby red petioles and young stems, and a pine scent.

An old wall in Embsay had a nice bush of Garden Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) growing out of it, no doubt self-seeded from a nearby garden.

Having a little time to kill before catching my train I wandered up to Skipton Woods. Not the most interesting of woods (especially at this time of year), too many feet and too much bare ground, but adding a few plants that had not been recorded previously. Including such obvious species as Branched Bur-reed (Sparganium erectum). It was also good to find the Herb-Paris (Paris quadrifolia) just about still in leaf, allowing me to collect a detailed grid reference. However justifying this brief diversion was the best find. A large plant of Indian-rhubarb (Darmera peltata) has somehow managed to establish in the bank of Eller Beck by the boardwalk. I'm not sure if this is the same plant last reported in 2004, the location details are too vague, but it seems likely.

Indian-rhubarb

Sparganium erectum - Getting to Grips with the Subspecies

Mike Wilcox is taking an interest in Branched Bur-reed (Sparganium erectum) at the moment, with the aim of improving knowledge of the distribution of the four subspecies. Much needed, and particularly valuable for the New Atlas project.  It is too easy to ignore variation below the species level, but in recent years we have seen a number of under-recorded subspecies raised to species status leaving a black hole in our records as a result. Even where this is not warranted the ecology and geography of the component subspecies can diverge and is in itself interesting.

                                   Sparganium erectum subsp. microcarpum on the Ripon Canal. Image: M. Wilcox

So ideally we should be recording subspecies, although it is not always easy especially when published descriptions are often inadequate. It is too easy to make a false start, reducing confidence and increasing the inclination not to try. Which neatly brings me back to Mike, who is keen to receive samples of mature fruiting heads from anywhere in the UK and Ireland and will provide or confirm the initial ID's. So its win win for all concerned.

There are four subspecies in the UK & Ireland, all of which are detailed in our standard floras. So they are doable, but only with mature fruit (so now onwards is a great time to collect fruit) and being aware of the pitfalls in the key. The split between subsp. microcarpum and subsp. neglectum is particularly tricky as it relies on a judgement as to whether the individual fruit are 'shouldered' or 'gradually narrowed'. See Mike's photo of the former and note the difference between the mature fruit and the immature fruit. Subsp. microcarpum might perhaps be better described as having a domed head as it is not markedly shouldered, and subsp. neglectum as tapering. There is a great picture of the latter (and subsp. erectum) here.

If you would like to get in touch with Mike his address is in the BSBI members handbook (Members area of the website) or drop him an email. Fruiting heads can be put into a paper packet or envelope, and full details of the location should be provided (there is no value in a record if we don't know where it comes from!). You can email Mike at michaelpw22[at]hotmail.com  (replace the [at] with an @).