Botany Update August 2021

Fifteen of us met at the Linton Falls car park to walk down the lane, through the churchyard and into the rough pasture opposite the local sewage works. This was our final meeting of the season, and we hoped to get good sightings of the late summer flowers and was a change to the advertised venue of Grimworth reservoir. The original plan of the leader was to go upstream as far as Ghaistrills with the initial part a short diversion.

Of course it took us some time to even get to the churchyard gate, being pleased to see the Common Blue-sowthistle in its usual situation on the roadside, then at the gate a discussion regarding the Willowherb, one not often recorded by us but not rare, Hoary Willowherb.

When we eventually got to the river, and  as it was low, it was possible to look at the plants from the shingle, which some chose to do while others took the path. Yarrow was still in some abundance with the blue of Harebell, Field Scabious, and Tufted Vetch providing a contrast. We noted the pink Restharrow, member of the Pea Family, a legume, as is Tufted Vetch. There was a good scattering of the delicate white Burnet Saxifrage, a late flowerer of the Umbellifer family.

 

It had been the original intention to have lunch at Grassington Bridge but there was already mutterings of what a good place the riverside would be for that break and as lunchtime approached that was where lunch was taken.

As it was becoming quite hot and humid,it was clearly not going to be possible to get much further, so most people went on to the new power house to see Marsh Woundwort and  Creeping Yellowcress, on the way identifying a Bur-reed, Perforate St. John’s wort and four small ferns on the wall approaching the Falls Bridge. Over 100 species had been recorded in the relatively small area.

Then at 3pm time to go to Badger Gate for tea and cake, inside or out in the garden. A chatty end to our 2021 season.

Hopefully next year there will not be the restrictions of 2021 and we may get to see the Purple Saxifrage on Pen-y-ghent and the Yellow star of Bethlem at West Tanfield which would have been our first two meetings of 2020.

Christine Bell.

Photos Christine Bell;  2nd featured image  – Brittle Bladder Fern, Blue Sow-thistle, Restharow, Creeping Yellowcress; and Marsh Woundwort. Ian Hughes.