2004 Ingleborough 17th July One Day Meeting
A total of 18 members met on a cool and very wet morning at Horton in Ribblesdale. After a short walk to the railway station Hieracium acuminatum and H. grandidenswere seen together with Rumex longifolius (northern dock). Festuca x Festulolium lotiaceum was seen at the edge of a nearby meadow, even though the field had been mowed recently. The parents Festuca pratensis and Lolium perenne were also still in evidence. Climbing a little higher we saw Euphrasia confusa, seed heads of Antennaria dioica (mountain everlasting) and our first of many brittle bladder ferns Cystopteris fragilis. Also masses of Sesleria caerulea (blue moor-grass), though this has to be seen in early spring to see its lovely colour.
Reaching a plateau the following plants were seen Linum catharticum (fairy flax), Galium sterneri (limestone bedstraw), Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley), Asplenium viride (green spleenwort) and three violets which were not in flower: Viola rupestris (Teesdale violet), V. riviniana (common dog violet) and V. hirta (hairy violet). Proceeding to a very wet area we eventually saw, despite the continuing light rain, Arenaria norvegica ssp. anglica (English sandwort) along with Minuartia verna (spring sandwort), Sagina nodosa (knotted pearlwort), Sedum villosum (hairy stonecrop.), Gymnocarpium robertianum (limestone fem). Coming to a flush we saw various sedges including Carex pulicaris (flea sedge), C. dioica (dioecious sedge), C. hostiana(tawny sedge) and the rare C. capillaris (hair sedge). Also found were Eleocharis quinqueflora (few flowered spike rush) and Triglochin palustre (marsh arrow grass). Thankfully the rain had ceased so we had lunch.
After lunch we crossed Thieves Moss after seeing Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn) at an unusually high altitude for it. In the moss we saw Eriophorum angustifolium (common cotton grass), a few plants of E. latifolium (broad leaved cotton grass), and a last few flowering spikes of Primula farinosa (birds eye primrose).
There was also plenty of Schoenus nigricans (black bog rush) and Trichophorum cespitosum (deer grass). The group was pleased to see Vaccinium oxycoccos(cranberry) in flower and nearby V. myrtillus (bilberry) and Empetrum nigrum(crowberry). On the very large area of limestone pavement we saw many Dryopteris submontana (rigid buckler ferns) and the Polystichum lonchitis (holly fern). Turning for home we saw the rare Alchemilla minima and, by the path, a few early plants of Gentianella amarella (autumn gentian). It was a long trek, but despite the weather, everyone seemed to enjoy the outing.
My thanks go to Ted Phenna who kindly came over from Llandudno to help with the meeting and to Brian Burrow from Lancaster who showed us the various sites on our recce earlier in the week.
PETER BULLOCK