2000 Oxfordshire 24 - 25 June Main Meeting
In good weather, but not too hot, 24 members met Peter Creed at Sydlings Copse which is a BBOWT reserve near Stanton St John north-east of Oxford. The first excitement was Astragalus glycyphyllos (Wild Liquorice) in fower, then Himantoglossum hircinum (Lizard Orchid) and Ophrys apifera (Bee Orchid). The list of interesting plants also seen at that rather special place would be too long to give in full, but Agrimonia procera (Fragrant Agrimony) and Cirsium eriophorum (Woolly Thistle) give the flavour perhaps.
The afternoon was spent at Wendlebury Meads near Charlton-on-Otmoor. This is a most interesting area of ancient ridge and furrow meadow which combines both acid and alkaline areas in an unusual way. The effect of this, tor us was to see Dactylorhiza fuchsii and D. ericetorum (Spotted-orchids) growing more or less side by side. The Coeloglossum viride (Frog Orchids) were especially large and fine, much taller than the short little things produced on the chalk downs. Also there were Genista tinctoria (Dyer's Greenweed) and Onoms spmosa (Spiny Restharrow), neither of which does one see often.
The following day began at Cothill near Abingdon to explore the BBOW 1 reserve at Dry Sandford Pit. This SSSI consists of 20 acres of old stone and quarry as well as ponds and fenland, and the variety of habitats is shown by the variety of plants we saw: Dactylorhiza fuchsii this time, and the striking Epipactis palustris (Marsh Helleborine), Equisetum variegatum (Variegated Horsetail), Juncus subnodulosus (Blunt-flowered Rush), Orobanche minor (Common Broomrape) and Ranunculus lingua (Greater Spearwort), to name but a tew. A short stop at Parsonage Moor nature reserve earned us Dactyhorhiza traunsteineri. (Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid) and Galium uliginosum (Fen Bedstraw). Finally to end a memorable day, we successfully fought our way through Oxford to Port Meadow to explore the Thames backwaters and flood plain. The meadow was exceedingly wet and muddy, too much so for our search for Apium repens (we were a bit too early for that too), but Limosella aquatica (Mudwort) was in flower and was lovely. It was accompanied by Veronica catenata (Pink Water- speedwell) Ranunculus trichophyllus (Thread-leaved Water Crowfoot) and three Yellow Cresses Rorippa amphibia, R. sylvestris and R. palustris (Great, Creeping and Marsh Yellow Cresses) - a good place (wet or not) to conclude a most interesting weekend. . .
This report is based on notes by one of the participants, Miss Betsy Allan to whom I send my thanks for providing them.
EDITOR