Eight of the botany group met at Freeholders Wood above Aysgarth Falls on a cold but sunny April morning. We enjoyed the Hazel woodland backdrop of Bluebells Hyacinthoides non-scripta and Wood Anemones Anemonoides nemorosa while hunting for other spring woodland specialities. A few Early Purple Orchids Orchis mascula were popping up, Herb-paris Paris quadrifolia was flowering perfectly for us and we were delighted to find Goldilocks Buttercups Ranunculus auricomus while wondering whey there doesn’t seem to be any Sanicle Sanicula europaea , Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina or Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella here (or they were hiding today!). We compared and contrasted Wood and Water Avens Geum urban and rivale, Wood and Germander Speedwell Veronica Montana and chamaedrys and Wild and Barren Strawberry Fragaria vesca and Potentilla sterilis.
Botany group at work
Toothwort Lathraea squamaria
Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris
Comparing Early and Common Dog Violets Viola reichenbachiana and riviniana prepared us well for identifying Hairy Violet Viola hirta, one of today’s highlights. Another highlight was seeing the ghostly pinkish white flowers of Toothwort Lathraea squamaria, a plant lacking in chlorophyll and parasitic on the roots of trees like Hazel. We found various Lady’s Mantle Alchmilla sp plants which gave us serious identification challenges. A marshy area provided a different range of plants, as did an area of anthill grassland. On our way back we spotted two beetles mating and these proved to be Red Breasted Carrion Beetles Oiceoptoma thoracicum – widespread but not especially common and associated with woodland. They feed on the larvae that feed on carrion. We look forward to further botanical adventures over the summer. Do join us if you can!
By Liz Beaver
Photos by Tony Serjeant and Jane Welsh
Herb-paris Paris quadrifolia
Early purple orchid Orchis mascula
