2002 Wallis Wood Surrey 7th April One Day Meeting
The first field meeting of the year for Branch M took place on a gloriously sunny, crisp morning on 7th April. Fourteen members, some beginners, some more experienced botanists, met under the leadership of Clare Coleman and were joined by Sue Cooper, warden of Wallis Wood, which Surrey Wildlife Trust has owned and managed since 1974 and Arthur Hoare, our branch secretary.
The group set off looking at the verges and hedgerows en route to the wood. We found Ranunculus auricomus (goldilocks buttercup), a dainty, divided-leaved plant with rather imperfect flowers; and three species of Cardamine growing together. This provided a good opportunity for beginners to really look at these plants and sort out their differences. We found the Lamiastrum galeobdolon ssp. argenteum (variegated yellow archangel) rampaging through the undergrowth, no doubt thrown out with some garden rubbish and finding a new habitat for itself- let's hope it won't grow at the expense of our native species.
Once in Wallis Wood, Sue told us about its history. It is a typical oak-hazel coppiced woodland, which was used for timber for centuries, but was left uncoppiced until the Trust took over its management. Now they are reintroducing coppicing to encourage the woodland flowers. There was a fine stand oiPopulus alba (white poplar) by the gate and Carpinus betulus (hornbeam) and Prunus avium (wild cherry) further in. The woodland floor abounded in flowers. These included Viola riviniana (common dog violet) and V. reichenbachiana (early dog violet) and Clare showed us how to distinguish between these rather similar flowers while Arthur looked for any hybrids: none were found to complicate matters.
Deeper in the wood we found Narcissus pseudonarcissus (wild daffodil) which is rare in Surrey. As we returned for lunch, we looked at two species of woodrush, Luzula pilosa (hairy woodrush) and L. forsteri (southern woodrush). They are of similar size but Arthur has impressed the difference between them on my mind for ever by describing a late member of the WFS, a Mr Forster, who was an upright gentleman. L. forsteri holds itself and its flowers up straight; the other species has spreading flowers!
After our picnic on the village green we set off in the other direction through woods to Okewood church. On the way, with help from Arthur and Clare, we learnedto distinguish Crataegus monogyna and C. laevigata (common from midland hawthorn). And we found the hybrid too. We also looked at ferns and Clare had prepared a table of distinguishing characters of the Dryopteris felix-mas (male fern) D. affinis (golden male fem) and D. carthusiana (narrow buckler fem), which were all there. We saw lots more species before returning to the cars. Some of the party made one further journey to a streamside near Capel to see the Cardamine bulbifera(coralroot bittercress). Alas, we were too early. Magnificent plants, fine buds, but no flowers yet.
Branch meetings are great way to meet members in your area: let's have more of them please!
JUDY MOSS