1999 North Somerset 26 - 27 June Main Meeting
"Oh we do like to be beside the seaside", especially those of us who live as far from it as I do in Shropshire. So it was a special treat when, despite awful weather forecasts for the weekend, 15 members met in bright sunshine at Sand Point north of Weston- super-Mare to spend a day's botanising on the varied habitats of the North Somerset coast, ably led by Stephen Parker.
We didn't have to walk far for the first goody, Teucrium chamaedrys (Wall Germander) growing happily outside the toilet block. Two Geraniums, lucidum (Shining) and versicolor (Pencilled) were also here, as well as a lovely Oxalis, identified over lunch as articulata (Pink Oxalis).A short walk at the base of the limestone cliffs introduced us to many plants of the area - the glaucous Elytrigia atherica (Sand Couch), patches of Sedum album (White Stonecrop) and Silene uniflora (Sea Campion). Orobanche hederae (Ivy Broomrape) turned up on the first of many occasions in the day. The second time a very handsome colony in full flower on the cliff path aroused great enthusiasm despite its abundance in this area.
The cliff top sported a typical limestone grassland sward, which included Thymus polytrichus (Wild Thyme), Linum catharticum (Fairy Flax) and Carduus nutans (Nodding Thistle). But it was further along towards the Point that more interesting plants were to be found. Stephen showed us a patch of Dianthus gratianopolitanus(Cheddar Pink) perched precariously on the crags. The species was apparently planted here some years ago, but is now well established and spreading. Unfortunately it was past its best at this exposed site. An area of thin almost bare soil almost at the end of the promontory supported another of North Somerset's great rarities - Trinia glauca (Honewort). Stephen explained that this plant is dioecious and it was possible to find both male and female specimens. On the way back interest focused on some Ranunculus parviflorus (Small-flowered Buttercup), the even smaller flowered Erodium maritimum (Sea Storksbill) and Trifolium ornithopodioides (Fenugreek), all inhabitants of the heavily trodden path side community to be found on these cliffs.
After lunch the group moved to Uphill, south ofWeston-super-Mare. The usually free parking on the beach was today £4 per car so we ended up in the adjacent housing estate! From here, a short walk south took us past the stream, flanked intermittently by Apium graveolens (Wild Celery) and Erigeron glaucus (Seaside Daisy), to the Uphill LNR, where we were first shown Gaudinia fragilis (French Oat-grass). The species, with its distinctive 45° angled awns is believed to be an introduction, through wider recognition is leading it to be found looking conspicuously native at a number of local sites. Other rarities to be found here were Koeleria vallesiana (Somerset Hair-grass), demonstrating clearly the differences with its 'common' cousin, Koeleria macrantha (Crested Hair-grass), and Aster linosyris(Goldilocks Aster), unfortunately not yet in flower, but doing well on the rocks. Dropping down to the seawall and saltmarsh for the walk into Weston-super-Mare, we encountered a plethora of fascinating maritime species, including Bolboschoenus maritimus (Sea Clubrush), Trifolium squamosum (Sea Clover), Seriphidium maritimum (Sea Wormwood) and the charming little grass Hordeum marinum (Sea Barley).
In Weston itself Lobularia maritima (Sweet Alison) was abundant, as was Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda Grass), which seemed to make up the lawns by the promenade. The group aroused some amusement from the local holiday makers by grovelling in the grass for gems such as Medicago polymorpha (Toothed Medick) and Trifolium suffocatum (Suffocated Clover) and nearly got mown down by a miniature train as we gathered fascinated, around the bizarre Trifolium tomentosum (Woolly Clover). But there was yet more to see. In the nearby Ellenborough Park, Stephen showed us one of only two sites in the country for Equisetum ramosissimum (Branched Horsetail) and an area with Herniaria glabra (Smooth Rupturewort), an exciting official end to the first day, though five members went on afterwards to nearby Purn Hill (on Stephen's recommendation) to find the hybrid between the Common and White Rockroses. Amazingly, just as we returned to our cars it started to rain! What a perfect day!
-The second day also threatened rain which never materialised until we were on our way home. We met by the roadside at the Gordano Valley NNR where Stephen was keen to show us a good assemblage of native plants in this outlier of the Somerset Levels. We learned the (suprisingly) subtle ligule differences between Phragmites australis (Common Reed) and Phalaris arundinacea (Reed Canary- grass) and spent a good while grappling with the identification of a curiously branched Equisetum (Horsetail), which eventually turned out to be arvense (Field). The marshy fields yielded at least six different rushes (Juncus spp.) the most unusual being subnodulosus recognisable by its whitish flowers. There were also Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Southern Marsh Orchid) and Cirsium dissectum (Meadow Thistle) to be appreciated. However, the real gems of the site were hidden in the ditches - Potamogeton coloratus (Fen Pondweed), Alisma lanceolatum (Narrow-leaved Water- plantain) and Myriophyllum verticillatum (Whorled Water-milfoil) were some of the rarities encountered. Several people, myself included, were pleased to come across Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (Frogbit) even though no flowers could be found.
After lunch, the group moved to Weston Bigwood near Clevedon, which is unusual in being largely dominated by Tilia cordata (Small-leaved Lime). By the roadside we were shown a colony of the local speciality Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum (Purple Gromwell), sadly not in flower. Further down the road a quarry and a municipal tip had conspired to introduce a number of interesting wayside species such as Lathyrus sylvestris (Narrow-leaved Everlasting Pea), Hirschfeldia incana (Hoary Mustard) and its native and confusingly similar cousin Brassica nigra (Black Mustard), and Geranium endressii (French Cranesbill).
The weekend was brought to a fitting climax when Stephen showed us the almost circular leaves of Sorbus eminens growing in the wood.
Our thanks and appreciation go to Stephen Parker who planned and executed the weekend showing us the plants of North Somerset in a variety of habitats without the need for too much environmentally-unfriendly driving from site to site.
TINA TEEARU