Curiosities Part I

I recently had a day botanising in the Clapham area (VC64), including around The Lake where Reginald Farrer introduced so many new exotic species to his estate.

Heading up to the Caves this fabulous form of our native Ramsons (Allium ursinum) caught my eye. Several clumps all with the same bright yellow midrib. If anyone knows the name for this variant (assuming it has one) then please leave a comment as I would love to know.

Whether it is a chance mutation at this location, as it grows with the typical form, or a prized introduction from elsewhere is hard to know. It deserves greater appreciation as at present it is slowly disappearing under dense regenerating tree saplings.

New for VC31

I have just spent a rather frenetic few days making the most of the recent heatwave to do my first square-bashing of 2018 for the New Atlas, as well as for the Flora of Fenland project. My day down in the Colne and Earith area of Huntingdonshire proved rewarding with two new county records. Interestingly these were both Alliums.

First up was a stand of Few-flowered Garlic (Allium paradoxum) on Meadow Lane. This is a species I know well from VC64 where it is widespread and abundant, particularly along river valleys where the spread of bulbs is facilitated by water. I suspect it may have been brought in with spoil at this location, but not recently.

The naturalised form is var. paradoxum which has most of the flowers replaced by bulbils. Its a bit of a scruff and makes you wonder who ever thought it was a good idea to introduce it to this country.

The second find was another species with potential to become a bit of a thug. This was Three-cornered Garlic (Allium triquetrum) on a ditch bank in Colne. I couldn't get to it for a photo, so here is one from Wikimedia Commons.

Photo by Kenpei

Interestingly the latter species was also growing with what in the UK we know as Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica). This is my first observation of this species in VC31 (its common in VC64), and I had to date not trusted previous records. This robust species is triploid and bears little resemblance to the wild Spanish plant; current thinking is that it may have evolved in cultivation, but more work is needed. I had only seen the hybrid (H. x massartiana) since taking on the VC in 2008, and it is proving quite widespread. Despite being far more common than Spanish Bluebell, the hybrid still seems to be widely misunderstood and under-recorded in some quarters. 

Green Hellebore

Howard Beck has been to Threshfield Moor to see the Green Hellebore (Helleborus viridis) and has kindly shared details and the following photograph. This is a welcome update given the last record from this location is now more than 20 years old.

Green Hellebore (photo by Howard Beck)

This colony seems to be doing well along the banks of a small beck. This remote location is far from what would ordinarily be considered typical habitat for the species. It seems likely that it is a long established garden escape, from the days before the modern hybrids supplanted this species in gardens or perhaps even from when it was still valued as a medicinal plant. Its value being as a powerful antihelminthic, as well as a cure for boils and 'melancholicke' diseases. It is possible this colony derives from a wild gathering from nearby Grass Wood, where this species is also known (last reported in 2002). 

Work Starts on the RPR for VC64

I have been meaning to start work on the Rare Plant Register (RPR) for Mid-West Yorkshire for a number of years, so am pleased to have finally made a start. Its still in the very early days, but I now have the format set out, a draft cover (sneak peek below, the cover star is of course Thistle Broomrape Orobanche reticulata), and have spent the day adding in the first tranche of species.

For those not in the know, a RPR is a mini Flora, containing details of just the rarest species in the county, together with up-to-date information on how they are faring. It is intended as a reference to actively assist nature conservation planning as much as being a Flora of wider interest for botanists. More detail can be found on the BSBI website, along with most of the RPRs produced to date (including mine for VC31).

My plan at present is to progress the RPR slowly, starting with a first edition largely restricted to species listed in national Red Data Lists, following later by a fuller account bringing in species that are rare and scarce in the VC. This is the approach I took with VC31 and it works well. It allows a start to data collation and dissemination, whilst postponing the decisions on which species meet the county criteria. The data needed to support identification of the latter is far from adequate, many of the historic records are now quite old and there is no side-stepping the fact that the resolution of most of these historic records is very poor. So there is a lot of work still to be done, and the RPR will gradually evolve as the records come forward to support its development.

So what can local and visiting botanists do to help? To be honest I would be grateful for any support, big or small, that can be offered. Detailed records of any species listed as Near Threatened or worse status in the England Red Data List will be very welcome (you can find my contact details in the BSBI list of members or on the website), most especially if they come from locations away from the usual botanical hotspots for recording. Its a large county with much to offer.

A few photos of species coming forward in the first draft below.

Mousetail (Myosurus minimus) - extinct in the VC unless anyone knows otherwise

Greater Water-parsnip (Sium latifolium) - extinct in the VC unless anyone knows better

Rye brome (Bromus secalinus) - Vulnerable in Great Britain

Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale) - Near Threatened in England and Great Britain

Corn Marigold (Glebionis segetum) - Vulnerable in England and Great Britain

A Cinquefoil - (Potentilla sp.) - one of the atypical populations in the Yorkshire Dales that is probably an endemic apomict weighting for a name. Almost certainly threatened if this is the case.

VC64 End of Season Update

I have just finished crunching an excellent and large batch of records from Bruce Brown, who has been really active for the New Atlas in SE04, 05 and 06 over the summer. I'm looking forward to seeing what his efforts do for the stats on these hectads.

My personal choice of highlights include, starting with the natives:

The under-recorded reservoir drawdown specialist of 'Intermediate' Plantain (Plantago major subsp. intermedia) at Embsay and Grimwith Reservoirs. The latter also had Mudwort (Limosella aquatica), a very scarce species and one not recorded from that hectad recently. All photos mine unless otherwise stated.

 Plantago major subsp. intermedia

Limosella aquatica

Grimwith Reservoir also rewarded Bruce with two interesting hybrids, Shore Horsetail (Equisetum x litorale) and Myosotis x bollandica. There is a nice account of the latter with photographs here. Bruce also found the Myosotis on Crawshaw Moss, and the number of records of this hybrid in general are accruing with some regularity after its first description in 2012.

Bruce is well known locally for his interest in and knowledge of ferns. Finds this year include Oak Fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris) and Beech Fern (Phegopteris connectilis) at Strid Wood. Neither fern is common in the VC,

Gymnocarpium dryopteris (photo by Griensteidl de Benutzer, Wikimedia Commons)

Phegopteris connectilis (photo by Griensteidl de Benutzer, Wikimedia Commons)

Other good finds include Small Teasel (Dipsacus pilosus) by the River Wharfe near Bolton Park, and Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) at Thorpe Fell trig point.

Dipsacus pilosus

Moving onto non-natives. Bruce found the diminutive and probably much-overlooked Least Duckweed (Lemna minuta) in the pond at Embsay Nature Reserve. While at nearby Draughton he found Turkish Wood-spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides subsp. robbiae). I have never understood why this is not afforded species status. Perhaps it will be one day so I am glad to have the record to subspecies level.

Euphorbia amygdaloides subsp. robbiae (photo by Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, Wikimedia Commons)

Another garden favourite occasionally found on road verges is Purple Crane's-bill (Geranium x magnificum), Bruce found this at both Embsay and Draughton.

Geranium x magnificum (photo by Meneerke bloem, Wikimedia Commons)

Moth Mullein at Paxton Pits (VC31)

Ian Dawson sends news of Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) by the Haul Road at Paxton Pits, showing that there are still some nice plants around despite us being nearly into November.

These plants are white flowered (f. albiflorum), so with potential to cause confusion given this species is widely cited as yellow flowered. White forms are common in cultivation. Photo from Ian below.

Water Bent - Over Looked and Under Recorded?

There are very few records of Water Bent (Polypogon viridis) for VC64. Indeed until last week, just three, all by me, and all from the Leeds area. The first record was from a garden centre in Yeadon, but I have since found two new locations in Leeds City Centre. Mike Wilcox has now added a forth record, for Horsforth approximately halfway between Leeds and Yeadon.

I suspect there will be more records to be made in Leeds. Now onwards is a good time to look as in urban areas it keeps flowering all winter, and therefore it stands out without other grasses to distract attention.

Photo by Mike below showing typical habitat. I would be pleased to have more records.