Assynt Meeting June 18th to 22nd 2006

Common wave moth Cabera pusariae(Common White wave moth)

Rumex longifolius Rumex longifolius(Northern Dock)

Larix decidua Larix decidua(Larch)

Picea sitchensis Picea sitchensis(Sitka Spruce)

Dacylorhiza purpurella Dactylorhiza purpurella(Northern Marsh-orchid)

Carex ovalis Carex ovalis (Oval Sedge)

A roadside verge near Invershin

Near the place where we parked for the Carex recta there seemed to be undisturbed roadside verge vegetation which we explored.

The nearby conifers had seeded into the gravelly slopes and we noted a sapling which looked very like Picea sitchensis (Sitka Spruce) although this young it's hard to be definite. Much easier to identify was a young Larix decidua (Larch) tree nearby.

Before we had set out to seek the rare sedge we noted what seemed to be Rumex longifolius and Rumex crispus with a possible common hybrid Rumex x propinquus. I took a whole plant photo of the Rumex longifolius and the seeds have no tubercles which is a characteristic of R. longifolius. The rest we would investigate on our return.

Never put things off.

When we returned the mowers had been out and cut down the docks so no close-ups necessary for identification were possible.

We also found a fine clump of Carex ovalis (Oval Sedge) with its usual congested flower heads and many Dactylorhiza purpurella (Northern Marsh-orchid) spikes.

Our next site, some distance away beyond Dornoch, was on the edge of Migdale Loch. The hill which edges the loch on its north eastern boundary is an outcrop of Gabbro-Dolerite called Migdale Rock. It is here that the very rare Potentilla rupestris (Rock cinquefoil) grows but none of our party had ever been there or seen the plant so we had no idea of the land or how difficult to was to get to.