2005 Dovercourt 2nd August One Day Meeting
Stephen Clarkson's meetings are always carefully researched and well organised, so it was no surprise to find 18 members ready for the off despite the mid-week date. Interest was there from the start with a great stand of Bolboschoenus maritimus (sea club-rush) which was hiding plants of Apium graveolens (wild celery).
Stephen elucidated the difference between the three Hordeums on show. He explained that they were all one-flowered in threes - the middle one being bisexual, the other two either male or barren. We were encouraged to get used to the jizz of each. Hordeum murinum (wall barley), the most common, has hairs on the awns. H. secalinum (meadow barley) is perennial with much shorter awns - tillers can be sought if unsure. The lowest awns on H. marinum (sea barley) spread at right angles. Moving along the borrow dyke (so named because the soil was "borrowed" to manufacture the sea wall) a mass of Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (floating pennywort) was located. Bob Holder risked a wetting to secure a long stalk with both flower and seeds available for examination. Leaving the dyke, we entered into saltmarsh blue with Limomum vulgare (sea lavender). Some time was spent examining all on show before we moved off to a wonderful display of Eryngium maritimum (sea holly) and lunch. Everyone commented on the spectacle and Stephen explained that at one time it formed part of an industry in nearby Colchester. The deep roots were dug up, candied and sold as a remedy for coughs and colds. After food we ambled in slow time across to the main sea wall, beguiled by the tangle of saltmarsh and sand flowers.
It was demonstrated that the foot of the dyke is a pretty special habitat. Here were Trifolium squamosum (sea clover) Bupleurum tenuissimum (slender hare's-ear) and Lotus glaber (narrow-leaf birdsfoot trefoil) along with much sea barley to satisfy all. Heading homeward, we came to a good stand of Peucedanum officinale (hogs fennel) where Gerard knew it back in 1597, "in a meadow... neere the seaside." He would be pleased to know that 400 years later botanists were still making pilgrimage, learning and enjoying the plants on show.
BILL HAWKINS