Holy Island Meeting July 15th & 16th 2006

Echium vulgare(Viper's-bugloss with Burnet Moth)

Atriplex laciniata(Frosted Orache)

Spergularia media and marina (Greater and Lesser Sea-spurrey)

Juncus gerardii (Salt-marsh-rush)

Atriplex patula(Common Orache)

Atriplex littoralis(Grass-leaved Orache)

Bolboschoenus maritimus (Sea Club-rush)

Carex otrubae(False Fox-sedge)

Lindisfarne July 15th afternoon:    Seashore I

A quick trip behind our picnic site led to the discovery of Atriplex patula (Common Orache), Atriplex laciniata (Frosted orache) and Atriplex littoralis (Grass-leaved orache). In amongst these were Salsola kali ssp kali (Prickly Saltwort) in full flower.

Our next stop needed another short journey in cars to the shores not far from the town itself. We wandered along the sea shore noting the usual sea shore plants and as "Woofs" are prone to do arguing about the identity of common species.

The one plant which caused most assertion and counter assertion was a Spergularia. Was it S. media (the big one) or the smaller S. marina ?

Most books talk about sepal length in comparison with petals but this isn't as straightforward as it appears. Some insisted that the sepals were longer than petals but to others it was obviously the other way round. Then we found S. media next to S. marina (see photo) and as often happens the differences between the two then seemed clearer.

There is another easily measured characteristic quoted in some books and which is fairly clear even from this small photo: S. media usually has ten stamens but S. marina only has five.

Other species which we noted were Plantago maritima (Sea Plantain), Armeria maritima (Thrift), Sand Couch (or was it Sea Couch?), Silene vulgaris (Bladder campion), Carex otrubae (False fox-sedge), a fine stand of Sea club-rush which we all once knew as Scirpus maritimus but is now called Bolboschoenus maritimus and plenty of Juncus gerardii (Salt-marsh Rush .