1996 Brighton and East Sussex 28th to 30th June Main Meeting
It has to be said that the weekend started badly, with rain beginning on the Friday evening as members got out of their cars and pouring heavily for much of the evening, and thick fog on the downs. Furthermore the party was harried by the police, something which was to be repeated curiously often during the weekend. They clearly saw us as an obvious bunch of trouble-makers. However none of this deterred the determined, who met the leader Paul Harmes in a car-park near Roedean School where there were masses of Campanula rapunculoides (Creeping Bell-flower). Paul then led the party past the front of the school where they saw Matthiola incana (Hoary Stock), an alien grass Anisantha diandra (Great Brome) and Scandix pecten-veneris (Shepherd's Needle) in fruit. The party moved on to Ovingdean to admire a plant of Prunella laciniata (Cut-leaved Self-heal) on a mown bank on one side of the road, with the hybrid P. x intermedia (P. vulgaris x P. laciniata) carefully arranged on the other. Another local speciality Centaurea calcitrapa (Red Star-thistle) was also visible nearby. Then still undaunted by the weather we went to Hollingdean for a hybrid Geranium x magnificum (Purple Crane's-bill - G. ibericum x G. platypetalum) as well as Lathyrus tuberosus(Tuberous Pea) and Orobanche elatior (Knapweed Broomrape). Finally the party went to the busy Brighton front to find Cyrtomium falcatum (House Holly-fern) and to a tiny scruffy bit of beach for Polygonum maritimum and P. oxyspermum(Sea Knotgrass and Ray's Knotgrass).
The next day was mercifully dry and quite pleasant, though often cloudy and windy. We met by the River Ouse to spend a happy day exploring brackish ditches and a saltmarsh. The police must have been told that a party of ravers were gathering on the bridge, because we were challenged again to explain what we were doing. When we were allowed to go Paul gave some useful lessons on species of Rumex, and we had the opportunity to learn a lot about grasses, many of them conveniently set out in contrasting pairs, for example Hordeum marinum and H. secalinum (Sea and Meadow Barley), Alopecurus bulbosus and A. geniculatus (Bulbous and Marsh Foxtail) and no fewer than three species of Puccinellia - distans, rupestris and maritima (Reflexed, Stiff and Common Saltmarsh-grass).
The theme of paired species continued with Ceratophyllum demersum and C. submersum (with such similar names who can remember which is three times branched and which twice?); Trifolium fragiferum and T. squamosum (Strawberry and Sea Clover), Potamogeton pectinatus and (probably) P. pusillus. There were also three Ranunculus: R. trichophyllus, R. circinatus and R. baudotii.
After lunch in the shelter of a fence, we crossed to the western side of the Ouse and walked along another ditch. Here there were more convenient pairs: Glyceria maxima to contrast with G. notata, (Reed and Plicate Sweet-grass), Lotus pedunculatus and the less common L. glaber (Greater and Narrow-leaved Bird's- foot-trefoil). At a certain point, after ensuring that all cameras were put away, Paul took off shoes and socks and climbed into the ditch to search for Groenlandia densa, but unfortunately his sacrifice was not rewarded. However we did see Zannichellia palustris, with its horned fruits.
At about 4 p.m. we moved on to a car-park near Shoreham harbour. This time the police drove rapidly round the car-park and out again, just to make sure we knew we were still being watched. Down by the beach on the northern side we saw what was first thought to be Petrorhagia prolifera, but Paul assures me that after examining the seeds he realises that it was in fact the Childing Pink, P. nanteuilii (so members who have already efficiently made the entries into their diaries may need to alter them; the less efficient may have a slight advantage here). There was also a hybrid Elytrigia which was later confirmed as E. x laxa (E. repens x E. juncea). We then crossed to the beach on the southern side, which is really like a spectacular rock-garden, a mass of Poppies, Sea Kale, Sea Pinks, Valerian, Lavatera and Mallow, Sedums and Tamarix; there were even paths laid across it so that people could get down to the beach without treading on the plants (actually to save their feet on the pebbles). Here we found Trifolium stellatum (Starry Clover) in fruit, and Chenopodium ficifolium (Fig-leaved Goosefoot) not in flower but recognisable simply by the shape of its leaves, and a multitude of Senecio: S. cineraria and S. jacobaea and the cross between them (S. x albescens), also the cross between S. squalidus and S. viscosus (S. x subnebrodensis). We also found two Orobanche, which were both later identified as 0. minor var. compositarum. It was a lovely day, and Paul typically gave us more of his time and enthusiasm than we could have hoped for.
The following day, Sunday, we met at Itford, north ofNewhaven, where we saw a Loganberry R. loganobaccus at the side of the road. We walked up Itford Hill, along the edge of a field where there were both escaped cultivated grasses (Lolium multiflorum, Hordeum vulgare and H. distichon - Italian Rye-grass, Six-rowed and Two-rowed Barley), and some that were definitely weeds (Alopecurus myosuroides, Avena fatua and Phalaris paradoxa - Black Grass, Wild Oat and Awned Canary-grass). Further up the hill we saw many typical chalk downland plants, among them the uncommon Phyteuma orbiculare (Round-headed Rampion) and Lithospermum arvense (Field Gromwell). There was discussion about whether the Phleum we saw were really bertolonii or simply starved forms of arvense, but after careful measurement later some of us were convinced that we had the true bertolonii ssp. serotinum.
We drove to Exceat car-park and had lunch. The police appeared again, this time in a much larger van. They drove suspiciously past and left looking enigmatic. We walked towards West Dean, through the lovely green English countryside, past a Rubus tuberculatus. We could see Rumex maritimus (Golden Dock) on the other side of the pond, but no-one felt very enthusiastic about seeing it close to. We walked on into Friston Forest, where there were Epipactis helleborine (Broad- leaved Helleborine) not quite open, Lathyrus aphaca and Vicia lutea (Yellow Vetchling and Yellow Vetch) growing together, Sison amomum (Stone Parsley), and Sambucus nigra var. laciniata (Cut-leaved Elder). On a bare chalky bank there was a lot more Basil Thyme, Geranium columbinum (Long-stalked Crane's- bill) and also Lathyrus nissolia (Grass Vetchling).
To round off the weekend we all went to Beachy Head. Here we had to approach the cliff edge one at a time and prostrate ourselves, like acolytes before a shrine, in order to pay homage to Bupleurum baldense and Euphorbia exigua (Small Hare's- ear and Dwarf Spurge), both less than an inch high and easily confused from eye- height (they were still quite easily confused from 6 inches above the ground). There was a strong off-shore wind and we were actually quite glad to be at ground level. Thesium humifusium was also flourishing close to the edge (Bastard Toadflax - the only representative in our flora of the Sandalwood family). We finally said our goodbyes at about 5 p.m., enormously grateful to Paul who showed us so much, and who made an excellent teacher, always ready to share his knowledge and enthusiasm. It was one of the most enjoyable meetings I have had with WFS.
MARY-CLARE SHEEHAN
NOTE From 1997 Spring Magazine 437:14East Sussex meeting, June 28-30 1996
Mr Paul Harmes has written in answer to some queries outstanding from the meeting, as follows:
Orobanche growing on Daucus carota on cliffs at Roedean should be recorded as 0. minor var. maritima.
Orobanche growing on Picris hieracioides on Shoreham beach: 0. minor var. compositarum. Both these have been determined by Mr F. Rumsey.
Petrorhagia on relic dunes at Shoreham beach was P. nanteuilii, not P. prolifera. Fruits were collected and examined in July. Det. P. Harmes.
Potamogeton at Southease was P. pusillus. Det. P. Harmes. I have to apologise for omitting to include this in the autumn magazine.