HEALTH WARNING: NEVER EAT FUNGI FOUND IN THE WILD.

Conditions for fungi having improved over the Autumn, Jo Prowse kindly led a small group on a fungal foray around Hebden.  We met outside the Old School Tea Room at Hebden in glorious autumn sunshine and walked down through fields towards the river.  We were soon rewarded with some great examples of different types of fungi, some in profusion.

Some of the highlights included a large patch of Shaggy Scalycap Pholiota squarrosa under a dying ash tree.  We also saw various bracket fungi including Horse’s Hoof Fomes fomentarius and later Dryad’s Saddle Cerioporus squamosus as well as the bracket-like Oysterlings Sarcomyxaceae and Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor.  In a wooded area, we spotted a purplish-fungi, Collybia sordida and in the fields by the River Wharfe, we found examples of Meadow Waxcap Cuphophyllus pratensis and a large brittlestem, the Charcoal Burner Russula cyanothnxa. 

Some of our finds even stumped Jo – at least temporarily. Having taken samples home and conducted spore prints, she was able to identify a Goldleaf Shield, Pluteus romelli with its yellow cap amongst others.

We had a wonderful morning testing our observation skills and learning some of the basics about how to identify fungi and where to look for them. Thank you Jo for a lovely day.

Report by Jane Welsh.  Photographs by Jo Prowse, Richard Ingram and Jane Welsh

After a long period of dry, hot weather, Malham Boardwalk was an ideal choice for our mid-August trip as all the moisture was keeping everything green and verdant.  As we had visited the Boardwalk back in June, it was interesting to see how the site had developed and how the flora had changed.  On a warm sunny day, with plenty of flowers around, we were also treated to lots of butterflies including Red Admiral, Peacock and various Whites.

The most striking thing as we entered the reserve, was the extent of Devil’s Bit Scabious Succisa pratensis across the site – where we had seen a few leaves earlier in the season, we could now enjoy a haze of soft purple.  One of the other treats towards the end of summer were the Grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris – their delicate white blooms scattered across the site.

Other highlights were a couple of aging spikes of Common Wintergreen Pyrola minor, Round-leaved Sundew Drosera rotundifolia and the ripe berries of Cranberry Oxycoccus.  As we passed the raised bog area, we enjoyed the flowering Ling Calluna vulgaris. 

After lunch, we had an introduction to the identification of ferns learning the importance of counting the number of pinnates on the fronds, the different shapes of spores and the overall shape of the fronds.  On the way back, we put this knowledge into practice, with varying levels of success, differentiating between Lady Athyrium filix-femina, Male Dryopteris filix-mas, Narrow Buckler-Fern Dryopteris carthusiana and Broad Buckler-Fern Dryopteris dilatata.

Almost back at the start of the Boardwalk, we spotted some yellow, snapdragon-like flowers emerging from a pond.  Further research identified it as a Bladderwort.  These rare plants are free-floating and don’t put down roots.  The leaves are finely pinnately divided and carry many bladder-like traps.  These are equipped with trigger hairs to suck in and digest small zooplankton.  Back home, we were able to establish that Greater Bladderwort Urticularia vulgaris is the most likely plant to be found on the Boardwalk.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t get close enough to get a decent photograph.

Back at the gate, we had a final opportunity to look at the Nettle-leaved Bellflower Campanula trachelium which shelters by the wall.  This is a relative rarity this far North but a changing climate might improve conditions for it.  All in all, it was a delightful visit and a reminder that this site is worth exploring at many different times of year and definitely a good destination in a dry summer.

 

Report and photographs by Jane Welsh

Six keen botanists met at the bridge at Yockenthwaite on an overcast and muggy morning to explore the meadow edges of the River Wharfe.  While the main meadows had been cut a couple of weeks earlier, the riverside edge and some of the steeper slopes were still full of flower.  Particular highlights included large patches of Betony Stachys officinalis, Devil’s Bit Scabious Succisa pratensis, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia and huge areas of Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra. 

 

We spent a bit of time by the river identifying a couple of different rushes, Jointed and Hard Juncus articulatus and Juncus inflexus which at one point involved peeling a rush stalk to look at the structure within.  Another lovely find on the river bank was a patch of Marsh Arrowgrass Triglochin palustris which is found on damp grassland on calcareous soils, fens and meadows – a perfect description of the site.

Not only did we enjoy the flora but we also spotted the claws of Signal crayfish left behind by a mustelid of some type – otter or mink – we couldn’t be sure.  And we were also able to see a number of birds including Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail and Dipper.

We had lunch sitting amongst the old flower spikes of Greater Butterfly Platanthera chlorantha and Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia conopsea in a lovely patch of Limestone grassland.  Unfortunately, the area is being invaded by Bracken Pteridium aquilinum. 

 

We gradually worked our way back to the bridge having enjoyed our time by the Upper Wharfe.  Despite weeks of dry weather, the banks were still remarkably green making for a very pleasant trip.

Report and photographs by Jane Welsh

6 members of the Botany Group recently visited 2 interesting sites near Ripon. Burton Leonard Quarry and Quarry Moor nature reserves are both (as their names suggest) former quarries on the narrow band of magnesian limestone which runs north to south in that area of Yorkshire. The underlying geology contributes to an interesting flora.

Many of the lime-loving plants were of course familiar to us (such as Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Salad Burnet Poterium sanguisorba, Common Rockrose Helianthemum nummularium, Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum and Small and Field Scabious Scabiosa columbaria and Knautia arvensis.

Some of the familiar plants surprised us by their profusion (Fairy Flax Linum catharticum forming a delicate white lacework over the yellow backround of Rockrose and Birdsfoot Trefoil; Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii and Common Twayblade Neottia ovata growing “like weeds” at Burton Leonard; Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria and Common Knapweed Centauria nigra similarly at Quarry Moor; both plants dwarfed by the thin soil and enthusiastic grazing by rabbits).

Other plants were much more typical of lowland or southerly conditions. These included Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa, Black Bryony Tamus communis, Burnet Rose Rosa pimpinellifolia, Common Centaury Centauria erythraea, Yellow-wort Blackstonia perfoliata and Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis all growing in abundance.

We were enchanted by the pretty pink veined petals of Squinancywort Asperula cynanchica occupying the niche inhabited by Limestone Bedstraw Galium sterneri in our Dales grasslands.

Our final botanical treat was seeing hundreds of plants of Thistle Broomrape Orobanche reticulata at Quarry Moor. Although more common in other areas of Europe, its UK distribution is restricted to a few sites in Yorkshire on this magnesian limestone belt. Seeing it so “at home” here was a lovely end to our trip.

Liz Beaver

Fortunately we beat the weather forecast and had a dry mild day with sunny intervals. It
was interesting to visit after last year’s very scorched scene and see many of the usual
species once again looking happy.
The blue Aquilegia vulgaris haze of the recce had disappeared and left no overall colour
but much freshness after the recent rain. The Common Spotted Orchids Dactylorhiza
fuchsii were prominent almost looking like Pyramid or Fragrant Orchids until the long
lower middle spurred lobe was noticed. Next were the Greater Butterfly Orchids
Platanthera chlorantha with their long spur and diverging pollen-masses, both species
present near the entrance and in relative abundance through the site.
It was good to see the following not as often seen species, Kidney Vetch Anthyllis
vulnereria, Lesser Stitchwort Stellaria graminea, and two Cranesbills, Cut-leaved
Cranesbill Geranium dissectum and Long-stalked Cranesbill Geranium columbinum.
Common Gromwell Lithospermum officinale is a quite tall plant with small creamish green
flowers, last years seed heads often still present as little silvery balls.
The main disappointment was the missing Fly Orchid Ophrys insectifera which we had
always found on previous visits, was this as a consequence of last year’s drought as no
other visitors quizzed had seen it?
We moved across the road to Meathop Moss where the highlights were Cranberry
Vaccinium oxycoccus a plenty and in flower, Bog Rosemary Andromeda polifolia was less
floriferous and no flowers were seen on the Round-leaved Sundew Drosera rotundifolia
but the big unexpected find and a first for most of us was the Oblong-leaved Sundew
Drosera intermedia, so different in appearance and in standing water.
An excellent day for the the six of us, two from as far alway as Leeds and one from
Greenhow and another Halifax such is the draw of this special area.
Josephine Drake

Eight members of the Botany Group met at Mill Bridge in Skipton on a cool but dry day.  We took the raised walkway north towards Skipton Woods but there were lots of lovely things to see from the path before we even got to the woods themselves.  Once in the woods, we found Fringecups Tellima grandiflora, a native of North America, by the entrance to the woods.  We also found plants associated with old woodland including Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysoplenium oppositifolium, Wood anemones Anemonoides nemorosa, Bluebells Hyacinthoides non-scripta and lots and lots of Wild Garlic Allium ursinum.  

Further into the woods, we found Goldilocks Buttercup Ranunculus auricomus, Lords-and-ladies Arum maculatum and small patches of Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella.  By the water, we found Marsh Marigold Caltha palutris and a particularly nice find of Large Bittercress Cardamine amara.  We were surprised to see quite a lot of Toothwort Lathraea squamaria as well as some small patches of Herb-Paris Paris quadrifolia.  

Despite being so close to the centre of Skipton, the woods were very peaceful and we all enjoyed finding old favourites.

Report and photographs by Jane Welsh