2007 Newsletter 8
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SOMERSET RARE PLANTS GROUP 2007 Newsletter Issue No. 8 December 2007. Although this is Newsletter number eight only, it is important that it marks our tenth anniversary and details of our celebrations at Uphill on 28th July 2007 are included. Much has been achieved in the ten years and the computerised records, which now amount to over half a million, reflect the hard work put in by many members, not just on field meetings but steady plodding away recording in their home areas. This steady work ‘behind the scenes’ is very much appreciated. We also thank everyone who has contributed to this newsletter and invite more members to send in observations or notes for inclusion in our next issue. Send to Caroline Giddens [email protected] or post to 12 King George Rd., Minehead, TA24 5JD by 1st November, 2008. REPORTS OF MEETINGS, 2007. _________________________ Indoor Winter Meetings 2007. Leigh Woods, Stokeleigh Camp & towpath The Annual members’ meeting took place on Sunday, 11th March, 2007. th Saturday 13 January, 2007 at Natural England offices, Roughmoor, near Taunton. It followed This was the first SRPG recording meeting of the usual popular sequence of business in the 2007. The Avon Gorge is well known for the morning, a ‘bring and share’ buffet lunch and large number of rare and scarce plants. Members chat, slides, raffle and book/plant sale in the gathered at the entrance to Leigh Woods National afternoon. The slides shown were by Brian Laney Nature Reserve. We soon came across our first from Northampton whose energy left us all plants of interest, with many Narrow-leaved wilting, he seems to manage to visit everywhere Bitter-cress (Cardamine impatiens) frequent near and everything but his photographs were the footpath; we discovered a good number of extremely interesting and much enjoyed. populations of this plant during the day. As we The second indoor meeting, also at th clambered around the ramparts of the Iron Age Roughmoor was on Saturday 10 February and camp we came across a large colony of Green this was devoted to members’ slides as there is Hellebore (Helleborus viridis subsp. occidentalis). never enough time to show them all at the Annual The group estimated that the population was in meeting. Steve Parker kicked off by giving a excess of 100 plants, and increasing in extent. presentation of our records on MapMate and this One cannot visit the Avon Gorge without looking showed how numbers are growing and where out for the many rare Sorbus species associated further work is needed. Records from the Atlas with the Gorge. On the Plain we had seen the Flora of Somerset (1997) Green, P.R., Green, I.P. collection of planted specimen trees. Libby and Crouch, G.A. have now been incorporated by Houston, the acknowledged local expert on the permission of the authors and with assistance area and its Sorbus, showed the group a number from at SERC. This was followed by illustrated of different species, including Sorbus talks about flowers from members Margarete bristoliensis, S. porrigentiformis and S. latifolia. Earle (Dolomites), Jeanne Webb (Morocco), Liz After a picnic lunch, we made our way slowly McDonnell (Crete), Ann Cole (Turkey) and down the steep wooded slopes of Nightingale Christine Lowden (Dolomites). What a well Valley to the towpath. A number of national travelled lot we are – it is a wonder we find time rarities occur here. On the edge of the railway line to study the Somerset flora! below Brunel’s famous bridge, we recorded a We must thank Natural England for allowing colony of Hutchinsia (Hornungia petraea). Libby us to use their offices at Roughmoor for our past cut away some bramble and other woody plants meetings and now look forward to future indoor that reduce the habitat for the Hornungia. On our meetings at Taunton Castle, courtesy of Somerset return trip to the car park we searched for Lady Archaeological and Natural History Society. The st Orchid (Orchis purpurea) but we could find no first of these took place on Saturday, 1 signs. This plant (last recorded in 1999) must now December, 2007 and it seems likely that we will be considered extinct on this site. find this an ideal centre. Access to the interesting library of old and new botanical books should Steve Parker. prove a great asset. 1 Ebbor Gorge. up the hillside, walking up a valley carpeted Saturday 7th April 2007. with Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Nine of us met at Ebbor Gorge on a lovely (Chrysosplenium oppositifolium). We spring day, and recorded a surprisingly high recorded 114 species in a short time, not number of species in two 1km squares. Ebbor finding anything of particular note, but seeing Gorge is an SSSI, managed by Natural a wonderful array of spring flowers in England, and is also a National Nature sunshine, at a lovely site. Reserve. Helena Crouch We recorded around the Display Centre first, admiring patches of Moschatel (Adoxa Castle Neroche, Blackdown Hills moschatellina), Wood Anemone (Anemone Sunday, 22nd April, 2007. nemorosa) and Goldilocks Buttercup Conifers are difficult, so on this self help day (Ranunculus auricomus), then descended into we planned to try to identify a few of the the valley, where ferns abound. Rocky many species planted in the Forestry outcrops were explored and an Early Purple Commission’s plantation. This site is within Orchid (Orchis mascula) was found. Two the Neroche project area, a scheme to restore damp meadows in the woodland added many 900 hectares of forest in the Blackdown Hills species to our list, including Ragged Robin to semi-natural ancient woodland. Conifers (Lychnis flos-cuculi), Bog Stitchwort identified included Lawson's Cypress (Stellaria uliginosa) and Twayblade (Listera (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) and Western ovata, or now Neottia ovata). The path Hemlock-spruce (Tsuga heterophylla). A passes below some mighty Hornbeams, species list for the area was also collected, no standing in an apparently meaningful circle. rarities were recorded. A site to revisit once On rocks either side of the entrance to the the habitat restoration scheme has been gorge, we found two patches of Southern completed. Polypody (Polypodium cambricum). A field Steve Parker identification was made, later confirmed microscopically, and it was useful to be able Hatch Hill, Polden Hills. to compare this species with the common Saturday, 12th May, 2007. Intermediate Polypody (Polypodium On Saturday 12th May, six members braved a interjectum). We admired the majesty of the blustery, showery day to look at Hatch Hill. gorge as we gently ascended at botanists’ This is a steep base-rich site on the Poldens, pace, stopping regularly. In the gorge we which in the past has become covered with found Hairy Rock-cress (Arabis hirsuta), scrub - mainly blackthorn, hazel and bramble. Wall Lettuce (Mycelis muralis) and Nettle- A restoration programme, has brought back a leaved Bellflower (Campanula trachelium). calcareous grassland with mostly fine grasses Lunch was partaken in sunshine at the including Quaking-grass (Briza media), viewpoint – a well used but nice bit of Meadow Oat-grass (Helictotrichon pratense) calcareous grassland. Here we recorded many and Downy Oat-grass (H. pubescens), Red species including Thyme (Thymus and Sheep’s Fescues (Festuca rubra and F. polytrichus), Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) ovina), Upright Brome (Bromopsis erecta), and Rockrose (Helianthemum nummularium), Yelow Oat-grass (Trisetum flavescens), and with other walkers joining us in our search! there was some Crested Hair-grass (Koeleria We then made our way to a less accessible bit macrantha). of grassland just around the clifftop, where There is a rich, diverse flora which includes we found Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris), Cowslip (Primula veris), Wild Thyme Spring Sedge (Carex caryophyllea), Heath- (Thymus polytrichus), Common Knapweed grass (Danthonia decumbens), Common (Centaurea nigra), Centaury (Centaurium Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) and erythraea), Yellow-wort (Blackstonia Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria). perfoliata), Common Rock-rose (Helian- The return to the car park added more themum nummularium), Field Madder woodland species. Three members had to (Sherardia arvensis), Betony (Stachys leave then, but the rest of us set off to record officinalis), Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa in an adjacent square. We followed a stream pratensis), Small Scabious (Scabiosa 2 columbaria), and Common Gromwell years. The small patch had a few flowers just (Lithospermum officinale). showing. A lovely sight was a good spread of On our way to the Rakes (mined cuts in Greater Butterfly-orchid (Platanthera the limestone), we meandered south of the chlorantha) across the upper part of the site. path. Several members were surprised to find Unfortunately we did not find any sign of the a mixture of plants of heathland, such as Early Gentian (Gentianella anglica) in what Heather (Calluna vulgaris), Heath Milkwort has been a historically good site. This may (Polygala serpyllifolia) and Heath Bedstraw have been a consequence of the long spring (Galium saxatile) growing alongside species drought. typical of calcareous grassland. In mining Anne Cole hollows, we were delighted to find Adder’s- tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum). Other Blackmoor Reserve and Ubley Warren. ferns of interest included Hard Shield-fern Saturday 19th May 2007. (Polystichum aculeatum) in abundance, Surrounded by the scarred landscape of lead- Brittle Bladder-fern (Cystopteris fragilis) and mining, eleven members met at Blackmoor Southern Polypody (Polypodium cambricum). Reserve, Charterhouse, to explore the exposed On a gravelly hillock, we found a tiny rock faces, black glassy slag heaps, skeleton of Hutchinsia (Hornungia petraea). watercourse and wetland for species with Later, on a rocky outcrop, 3 plants were exceptional tolerance to metal-contaminated discovered still in flower so that everyone soils and often very little soil at all! could appreciate this exquisitely minute On the limestone exposures we discovered rarity.