2004 Dawlish Warren Devon 24th April One Day Meeting
A group of eighteen, including many Branch T members, assembled for a warm sunny afternoon on the dunes. The aim of the meeting was to look at the small spring plants. The first species to be examined was Poa bulbosa (bulbous meadow-grass); we looked at the small swollen bases of the grass. Still on hands and knees the group got their lens out to see the tiny flowers of Trifolium suffocatum (suffocated clover). On reaching the area where the Romulea columnae (sand crocus) grows the group searched for a while before finding a few plants in fruit, then the cry went up, 'There is one in flower'.
In the end the party found about ten flowers. Nearby we looked at Teesdalia nudicaulis (shepherd's cress) and a clover, this time with much showier flowers, Trifolium subterraneum (subterranean clover). With most of us back on all fours, the differences were studied between Poa annua and P. infirma (annual and early meadow-grass); the latter was well past its best.
The meeting ended with the group looking at the fruits of Valerianella locusta and V. carinata (common and keeled-fruited cornsalad).
PAUL GREEN