Rhubarb Triangle

Only slightly less exciting than the Bermuda Triangle, and with marginally less planes and boats disappearing, my little patch of the Rhubarb Triangle still continues to turn up botanical interest. 

The rhubarb fields are perhaps one of the few places shoddy is still used, and I live in hope of unusual weeds. But I suspect most shoddy is of British origin these days, so that is unlikely. However, a relict of former days and still doing well is White Rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides). It is not a common plant, except perhaps in Lincolnshire, but it may be overlooked elsewhere in south Leeds and Wakefield. One to look out for at this time of year.

A group of plants that has been interesting me recently are the Sell & Murrell segregates of Fat-hen (Chenopodium album agg.). These deserve a specific post, but one of the distinctive ones that seems to have merit is Druce's Fat-hen (Chenopodium drucei). A relatively tall species with ovate lower leaves and long lanceolate upper leaves. The shape of the inflorescence is also distinctive,

A few fumitories are still flowering, and this one is a subspecies of Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis subsp. wirtgenii var. wirtgenii). Please someone coin it a specific common name!

Believe it or not, this one is different (too many flowers) and is Fumaria officinalis subsp. officinalis var. elegans.

Not particularly notable, but surprising to see in the corner of an arable field was Russian-vine (Fallopia baldschuanica).

A pavement crack in the village on the way home ended the day well by providing Cape-jewel (Nemesia strumosa), one of the less common escapes from bedding schemes. This looks to be only the third record for VC63.

An Abundance of Atriplex

Lockdown has taken me in all sorts of interesting botanical directions this year. It has given me time to look at certain groups more closely, and resolve past problems. Of course, the end of recording like a mad thing for the New Atlas has also helped with this!

Everyone knows Oraches (Atriplex) can be very variable, and this is most regularly commented on in relation to the coastal species. Especially comments and opinions around whether or not intermediate forms are hybrids or distinct defensible taxa. Much less is said about the inland forms and, until the last volume of Sell & Murrell came out, there was little in print (at least easily accessible print) to help with this.

I've tried to get to grips with these taxa previously but have struggled with the key, but finally things have clicked and I hope my experience can help others look more closely. I suspect there is something very interesting going on (at least in terms of differences between the first two forms illustrated below), but more records are needed to confirm this. This was brought home to me solidly this weekend, when botanising around Swillington (VC64). An arable field there had swathes of Common Orache (Atriplex patula), with 100's of var. erecta growing with abundant var. patula. Clearly very different from each other, and the latter well into fruit while the former was some weeks behind. They may hybridise, but clearly they are more than capable of maintaining themselves.

Atriplex patula var. erecta

This seems to be the commonest variant, matching Peter Sell's opinion. A stiffly erect plant that is markedly heterophyllous (lobed broad leaves, and linear to lanceolate ones with no lobes). Some leaves can also be more or less dentate, with this varying between plants. This plant finally made sense when I thought to look at some sheets in Herbaria@Home, and found some reliable ones collected by the Rev. Augustin Ley in the late 1800's. Historically this plant was treated as a species (Atriplex erecta) and in my humble opinion I think they had a point. It would be interesting to know what the genetics tell us.

Atriplex patula var. patula

Common in arable fields. The leaves are redolent of 'baby spinach' (if you don't know what that is then try the salad aisle the next time you are in the shops) i.e. dark green, thick and succulent. Leaves grade along a common theme, and are clearly not of two distinct types. Most keys do not work well for this variant (were they built with reference to var. erecta?) as the bracteole character could take you to Spear-leaved Orache (Atriplex prostrata), but the bracteoles are far too large for that species.

'

Atriplex patula var. linearis

I only found a few plants of this delicate, diffuse and spindly variety (there are a couple more varieties also to be found, one of which forms prostrate circular plants). Compared with the above varieties it is more delicate with much more uniformly narrow leaves (to 15mm, rarely a little wider). The leaves can have a basal pair of lobes but, unlike the first two, are never toothed. My memory of my childhood on the farm in Oxfordshire is that it was common in arable fields down south ( I knew 2 to 3 forms of Common Orache even if I could not name the varieties concerned).

Clustered Clover

It was a great treat last weekend to find some Clustered Clover (Trifolium glomeratum) at Newsam Green (VC64) on my way back from a walk to Temple Newsam via Skelton Lake. A new plant for me. 

I can't claim to have found it first, as Mike Wilcox saw it last year when he went to have a look at my find of Small-flowered Buttercup (Ranunculus parviflorus). But as I could not find it then, its good to be able to add a record for the new decade.

Large-toothed Hawkweed

These difficult times continue to reap botanical rewards on my local patch, an area I had thought well botanised but which is still throwing regular surprises.

Today's treat on a post-work stroll down to St Aidan's Nature Park was Large-toothed Hawkweed (Hieracium prominentidens), a species I had found previously in nearby VC63. Happily, I now have it in my VC as well, and its a second county record. The only other record is from York.

A nice simple species to ID, given it obviously sits in Section Sabauda, has eglandular phyllaries and long (to 12mm in this case) teeth on the leaves.

Unusual Creeping Buttercup

A little while ago Mark Spencer (VCR for London) put a note in the BSBI England Newsletter asking recorders to keep their eyes open for a very robust (the leaves are up to hand-sized) glabrous form of Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens) with an association with tidal watercourses. It needs more research, but Mark advises that it is currently being recorded as var. glabratus.

Luckily I had read the Newsletter prior to a trip to Keadby, North Lincolnshire (VC54). So when I was on the banks of the River Trent in just the right habitat and found just such a plant my brain went 'ping'. A few photos (see below) via email to Mark and the ID was confirmed.

I'm sure Mark would welcome a few more records, as well as observations on how well it flowers and sets seed (early impressions are it is not very good at doing either). There is an awful lot of suitable habitat between Keadby and Mark's records along the tidal River Thames, so it might prove widespread.

Coatham Dunes (VC62)

A work trip gave me the opportunity to explore the large sand dune system at Coatham, part of Teesmouth & Cleveland Coast SSSI. It is a fascinating site where open mosaic habitats (developed over historic deposits of lime rich slag from the former steel works) and garden escapes blur into a full succession of dune habitats, from grey dunes on the landward side to a strandline community at the top of the beach.

Plants that caught my eye, and sometimes my nose, included:

The famed (see British and Irish Botany) plant of Hart's Pennyroyal (Mentha cervina) at the edge of a pond, one of just a handful of known locations in Britain. Unfortunately it was not in flower at the time of my visit.

The margins of the pond supported good numbers of Knotted Pearlwort (Sagina nodosa), always a nice plant to find. These plants were prostrate and therefore probably var. moniliformis. A trip later in the year would likely confirm, as the large buds forming now should start to drop off to give rise to new plants.

Within the pond was a large population of Horned-pondweed (Zannichellia palustris). These plants had fruit on obvious stalks (1.5mm long, clearly apparent with the naked eye) from a common peduncle and are therefore, based on Stace 4, subsp. pedicellatus.

Everywhere within the dunes and on the slag deposits was the dinky coastal form of Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum subsp. maritimum), always a treat to catch in full bloom.

Perhaps one of the most exciting specialities of this dune system is Purple Milk-vetch (Astragalus danicus), a species holding its own further north but increasingly rare and patchily distributed in England.

Equally exciting for me was this curiously short, multi-stemmed (branching from base) and broad-leaved centaury. This meets published descriptions for the very poorly recorded and known sand dune form of Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea var. fasciculare). Thanks to Tim Rich for confirming my identification from photos. See the BSBI Handbook and an earlier analysis of variation in Common Centaury in Watsonia for further information. The pale flesh-pink flowers may or may not be relevant, depending on what other recorder's find in the field.

Another nice coastal plant is the dwarf dune form of Lesser Meadow-rue (Thalictrum minus subsp. arenarium). Some would have you believe this isn't a genuine entity. Bluntly, I don't believe them. Having previously seen its enormous rhizome system exposed by the wind; this is clearly a dune specialist and an important sand binding species at that. It would be interesting to know what the genetic evidence says about the validity of this species.

My dabbling in hawkweeds continued with a chance to examine the known population of Uig Hawkweed (Hieracium uiginskyense), present in huge numbers in the dunes.

Several of the dune slacks were fragrant with the scent of carnations, traceable to plants of Marsh Fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia densiflora). This species packs a real punch.

Equally fragrant and stunning was this escaped Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum var. periclymenum 'Serotina') at the roadside.

To end with another garden plant. I am going to stick my neck out and say this is the hybrid lilac (Syringa x hyacinthiflora), although I would have been happier if I saw it in flower.  Long cultivated, I suspect this hybrid is overlooked elsewhere. This bush was notable for its more shrubby form and stubby heart shaped leaves.

Townclose Hills SSSI (VC64)

Making the most of sunshine and a day off work I decided to walk over to Kippax and see what I could find at Townclose Hills SSSI, a fabulous remnant of unimproved limestone grassland affording great views over the lower Aire Valley. I wasn't quite sure what I would find, as the season seems to be whipping on at a rapid pace this year, with Butterfly-bush (Buddleja davidii) unbelievably in full bloom at the end of June. Thankfully, recent rain seems to have reinvigorated increasingly stressed flora, and grassland habitats at least are about where they should be for the time of year. Certainly, the grasslands of the SSSI were a carpet of flowers, with plenty to see. Highlights included:

Carpets of the native form of Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. vulneraria), strictly prostrate to prostrate-ascending on weak stems.

Masses of Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa var. scabiosa), an uncommon plant locally.

Good swathes of Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor subsp. stenophyllus), a subspecies more typical of calcareous fens further south but less fussy in Yorkshire where the local climate is more accommodating.

Perforate St John's-wort (Hypericum perforatum) which many will not consider that exciting, but I'm increasingly of the view that its not that common. I suspect it is widely over-recorded, especially in Yorkshire, for its hybrid Des Etang's St John's-wort (Hypericum x desetangsii). Recorder's shouldn't assume Perforate St John's-wort unless they have not checked the sepals carefully for the absence of teeth. By default it is therefore a plant that should only be named when in flower.

Plenty of Clustered Bellflower (Campanula glomerata) just starting to come into bloom.

With time to indulge this spring, and with an exceptional new BSBI Handbook to accompany Vince Jones' regional monograph (criminally under-printed by the Yorkshire Naturalist's Union), I've been dipping my toe into hawkweeds. One of the commonest locally, and earliest flowering, is Southern Hawkeed (Hieracium argillaceum). There was plenty of this in the grassland on steep slopes.

Moving down slope to the wooded margins of the SSSI provided:

Orange Whitebeam (Sorbus croceocarpa)

The largely sterile hybrid between Dewberry (Rubus caesius) and Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) i.e. Rubus x pseudoidaeus.

And, surprisingly, a highly scented hybrid Mock-orange (Philadelphus Lemoinei Group).

Into the woodland proper was a welcome plant of Soft Shield-fern (Polystichum setiferum), an uncommon species in the lowlands to the east of Leeds but one which is increasingly being found in small numbers in woodland habitats.